Weekly test-and-trace data will be published soon, ministers say

THE Government will begin regularly publishing its test-and-trace data as early as next week, ministers and officials have confirmed as they sought cover from criticism about the programme. A week into the launch of the programme, under which people are asked to isolate if they have come into close contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus, the Government has insisted the data are not yet accurate enough to be shared.

Reports that just 1,749 people had been contacted by the programme, despite 4,634 people having testing positive for Covid-19, were “leaked, outdated and partial”, Edward Argar, the health minister, said yesterday.

“It is into the thousands, but I’m not going to give you a figure until we have worked with the UK Statistics Authority to get a reliable figure,” he said.

The Government has now committed to publishing a “weekly dashboard”, which could start as early as next week.

Baroness Dido Harding told disgruntled MPS of the health committee she could only give them “a flavour” of the system’s work so far, but hoped the data would soon be published weekly.

And during a fractious PMQS, Boris Johnson said “thousands” of people had been contacted through the NHS Test and Trace programme – but was not able to give a precise figure.

During the most robust exchange yet with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer – in which both men accused each other of eroding public trust – the Prime Minister told MPS: “Thousands of people are being tested every day. Every person who tests positive in the test-and-trace programme is then contacted, then thousands of their contacts are then contacted, people they have been in contact with.

“At the moment as a result of our test, track and trace system … thousands of people are now following our guidance, following the law, and self-isolating to stop the spread of the disease.”

Mr Johnson also angrily rejected Sir Keir’s claim that the test-and-trace system is not yet fully operational.

The Labour leader said: “Two weeks ago today at the despatch box the Prime Minister promised that we will have a test, track and trace operation that will be ‘world-beating and yes it will be in place by June 1’. But it isn’t. And a critical element – the ability of local authorities to respond to local spikes – is missing.”

Mr Johnson replied: “I’m afraid he’s casting aspersions on the efforts of tens of thousands of people who have set up a test, track and trace system in this country from a standing start.

“We now have 40,000 people engaged in this.”

Some of the 25,000 contact tracers taken on have said they have nothing to do, despite earning up to £27.75 an hour.

It comes just a day after Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, was criticised by the UK Statistics Authority for using data “misleadingly”.