Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Self-isolation to be cut as Dido pressure grows
GO Dido Harding faces calls to leave her role
CONTACTS of people infected with coronavirus may have to selfisolate for as little as seven days amid a shake-up of quarantine.
Cabinet Minister Brandon Lewis confirmed officials are looking at cutting the time people alerted by the Test and Trace system are required to stay home – from 14 days to between 10 days and seven.
The move, which would not apply to those who tested positive for the disease, comes amid dissatisfaction with the performance of the system from ministers and MPS.
A No10 source has said that too many people are failing to follow the 14-day rule, so cutting it might help people obey. They added: “Compliance is not as high as we would like and self-isolation is key if
FORCES Jenkin has called for military aid we are going to beat the virus.” Mr Lewis said: “This will be scientifically-led.”
Meanwhile, Test and Trace system chief Dido Harding is under mounting pressure to quit.
Shadow Health Minister Rosena Allin-khan said the Tory peer’s position “is very difficult, it’s untenable really” after the shambolic system failed to find more than two in five contacts of infected.
Tory backbencher Sir Bernard Jenkin also launched a scathing attack on the system, saying public consent and co-operation is “breaking down”. He blasted a “vacuum of leadership” at the top and called for a change that is “visible and decisive”, with a senior military figure being parachuted in.
Mr Lewis backed Harding, saying she had “done a very good job”.
Compliance isn’t as high as we’d like to help us beat virus NO 10 SOURCE SPEAKS ON SELF-ISOLATION