'Civic duty' to respond to test and trace, says Matt Hancock, as he defends programme's first week

Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Photo: PA

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been forced to defend the Government’s contract tracing programme as the system’s head admitted it was not yet “gold standard”.

Figures released today showed 8,117 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England had their case transferred to the NHS Test and Trace programme in its first week , of whom 5,407 (67 per cent) were reached, while 2,710 (33 per cent) did not provide information about their contacts or could not be reached.

Overall, 31,794 contacts were identified and, of these, 26,985 were reached and advised to self-isolate – 85 per cent of the total number of contacts.

Of the remaining 15 per cent (4,809), some were not reached, others said they were already taking action independently of the system and some simply refused to comply. People are contacted 10 times in a 24-hour period.

Mr Hancock said the system was performing beyond his expectations despite figures showing a third of positive cases could not be reached.

He told the Downing Street press conference: “I think that the system has worked well and to get two-thirds in the first week of operation, it beat my expectations.

“Then to have the vast majority – 85 per cent – of the contacts that were given self-isolating, that beat my expectations too.”