Fall in Test and Trace contacting numbers

The NHS Test and Trace system has reached the lowest ever proportion of contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England.

Four in 10 close contacts of people who tested positive are still not being reached by the system - as it recorded its highest weekly number of positive cases.

A total of 137,180 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week to October 28 - an increase of eight per cent on the previous week and the highest weekly number since Test and Trace was launched at the end of May.

According to the latest figures, 59.9% of close contacts of people who tested positive were reached through the system in the week – the lowest since the system began and down from 60.6% the previous week.

For cases managed by local health protection teams, 97.9% of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate in the week to October 28.

Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board, said it is "hugely concerning" that the system is "going backwards".

Interim executive chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, Dido Harding, said the latest figures show the system is "processing more tests and reaching more people, which means we are finding positive cases and helping to break chains of transmission".

She said: "We know that there are areas where we still need to improve and we are working tirelessly to make the service quicker and more effective every day."