Why is the UK not taking simple measures such as more tests to tackle the spread of coronavirus?

THE Prime Minister is increasingly looking weak and indecisive. Promises are made and then ignored. Protective equipment and clothing for frontline NHS staff has been promised for weeks. Staff have become infected and the NHS damaged because of the lack of this equipment.

While the Government becomes ever more authoritarian in its attempt to control the coronavirus, they deliberately ignore the key World Health Organisation recommendation, to substantially increasing testing for the virus. The Government has been promising more coronavirus testing for months. Only now, in the midst of the totally predictable health crisis, are they promising to buy millions of tests. Yet, they are still talking of four more weeks before testing 25,000 a day.

Jeremy Hunt, the highly experienced former health secretary, has warned that “lack of testing means we have lost track of the virus”. We don’t know who has the virus, or where the next outbreak will appear. No testing has been done outside of hospital since March 13.

Countries which have been more successful in achieving control of this virus have much higher levels of testing.

They are even employing drivethrough testing for the virus, to speed up the process. South Korea routinely tests 20,000 people a day.

Increased testing would show the British people the Government is deeply concerned about the situation and taking action. Instead, we just get lectures and recommendations.

A successful coronavirus strategy involves testing, quarantining positive cases, tracing their contacts and then isolating those contacts in turn. It is simple and straightforward. Other countries are doing this and protecting their precious health staff with protective clothing. Why aren’t we?