Test and trace scheme misses 20 per cent of coronavirus patients
The government’s coronavirus test and trace scheme failed to gather the contacts of 20 per cent of patients that tested positive for Covid-19, according to the latest official data.
The Department of Health said this morning that 80 per cent of the 3,887 people that tested positive for Covid-19 were contacted by the scheme between 9 and 15 July.
That means the test and trace system was unable to identify the close contacts of 777 coronavirus patients.
In total, 16,742 close contacts were reached, with 78 per cent of those advised to self isolate.
Of those that were contacted, 69 per cent lived in the same house as the coronavirus patient.
Since the test and trace scheme was launched on 28 May, 77.1 per cent of new confirmed coronavirus cases have been reached by contact tracers.
So far, 7,614 people that tested positive for Covid-19 have not been contacted, amounting to 19.6 per cent of cases.
More to follow.