MORE CASH FOR TRACK AND TRACE

AN expected rise in Covid cases from December onwards has prompted the Welsh Government to spend £15.7m on expanding its contact tracing service.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething announced the number of people working for Test, Trace, Protect (TTP) will rise from 1,800 to 3,100.

It follows plans to recruit an extra 600 staff to work for a new Waleswide surge team to deal with localised outbreaks.

The expanded service is expected to be in place in time for a predicted rise in demand in December and the New Year.

Mr Gething said the Welsh TTP system has “performed well so far”, with over 90% of contacts being traced successfully since it started.

However a review of the service during the firebreak signalled a need to boost capacity ahead of what is expected to be a “difficult winter”.

The minister said there was a possibility that coronavirus cases will increase again and the TTP service needed to be ready.

“We do think we are going to face different challenges during the winter,” he said. “This will give us a more robust service, with extra capacity. We will be able to see up to 20,000 new cases and their contacts once we have these contact tracers in place.”

Crucially, said Mr Gething, the expanded service should also speed up the rate at which contacts are traced.

The TTP system contacts people who test positive to give them advice on self-isolation, and to find out their close contacts.

As cases have risen this autumn, the speed at which contact tracers reach people has fallen.

In the final week of October, 38% of positive cases were reached within 24 hours, and 66% within 48 hours.

Mr Gething said the latest investment shows the Welsh Government is being “responsible”.

“We are not waiting until the system is broken,” he said. “Even today, when you compare England and Wales, you will see that our contact tracing service has a 20point extra success rate.”

Meanwhile, Mr Gething confirmed that Wales’ Self Isolation Payment Scheme would start on Monday, November 16. This offers £500 payments to help people on low incomes to self isolate for 14 days.