The Government Doesn't Know How Many People Are Breaking Test And Trace Self-Isolation Rules
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The government does not know how many of the 144,000 people it has told to self-isolate through its Test and Trace system since May have actually done so, HuffPost UK understands.
Although the Department of Health and Social Care collects data about the number of people told to stay at home, it does not have figures about how many people actually comply – despite the fact that following the rules was said by the PM to be crucial to the route out of lockdown.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has previously said it is Brits’ “civic duty” to take part in the Test and Trace programme, and the government has pointed towards stricter measures if the public does not comply.
Boris Johnson said in May: “If you are contacted by an NHS tracer and you’ve been told you have been for more than 15 minutes less than two metres away from someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, then you should self-isolate.
“If people don’t, we will consider bringing in financial sanctions, fines.”
But the Department of Health and Social Care this week said it does not hold data on how many people – if any – were following the rules in the first place.
It comes as campaigners, and the head of the Test and Trace programme, have warned that financial pressures could make self-isolation incredibly difficult for some people.
Without data on how many people are following the instructions, it is unclear how the government will know whether money woes – or other factors – are preventing people from staying off work in large numbers, and thus whether more support or different measures may be needed.
According to Department of Health and Social Care data, around three-quarters (75.7%) of the 30,797 people who tested positive for Covid-19 between May 28 and July 1 were reached by NHS Test and Trace and asked to hand over details about who they had been in close contact...
