Coronavirus: UK test and trace hits new low with fewer than 60% of contacts reached

The government’s Test and Trace programme has reached a new low, with just under 60 per cent of close contacts successfully reached by the system in the week ending 14 October.

This is the lowest weekly percentage since Test and Trace began, and is down from 63 per cent in the previous week.

For cases handled by local health protection teams, 94.8 per cent of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate. But for cases processed online or by call centres, this figure was 57.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, just 15.1 per cent of people who were tested for Covid-19 in England in the week ending 14 October at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit - a so-called in-person test - received their result within 24 hours.

This is down from 32.8 per cent in the previous week and is the lowest weekly percentage since Test and Trace began.

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