Contact tracing in slight improvement across Shropshire

It comes as NHS Test and Trace reached its lowest ever proportion of close contacts nationally, with some 40 per cent of people not advised to isolate by contact tracers.

Data from the Department for Health and Social care shows 1,442 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Telford and Wrekin were transferred to the Test and Trace service between May 28 and October 28.

That means 474 new cases were transferred in the latest seven-day period – the largest increase since the regime began.

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In the Shropshire Council area 2,039 people have been passed to the system over the same period of time, with 510 in the latest seven days – also a record number.

Contact tracers ask these patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.

In Telford & Wrekin 3,595 close contacts were identified, and in Shropshire it was 4,703.

For Telford contact tracers reached 62.1 per cent – up slightly from 61.9 per cent up to October 21, and 61.3 per cent to October 14.

In Shropshire the tracers reached 63.6 per cent of those – up slightly from 62.7 per cent up to October 21, and 61.9 per cent to October 14.

Across England, 58.5 per cent of contacts not managed by local health protection teams were reached and told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace in the latest week to October 28.

Local health protection teams deal with cases linked to settings such as hospitals, schools and prisons.

The contact tracing rate including these cases was 59.9 per cent – a record low.

Around 140,000 new cases were transferred nationally in the week to October 28.

Before the new figures were published, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said the month-long lockdown that began in England on Thursday will be used to “redouble our efforts” to expand the NHS Test and Trace programme.

He said it is also vital to increase the speed at which test results are returned.

“Lots of people are receiving them the next day which is good, but there are still too many people who are having to wait for days and we are going to continue to work to speed that up,” he said.