Test and trace figures hit another weekly low with just 59% of contacts identified

Test and trace figures have hit a new low with just 59.6% of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England reached through the system in the week ending October 14.

This is the lowest weekly percentage since Test and Trace began and is down from 63.0% in the previous week.

For cases handled by local health protection teams, 94.8% of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate in the week to October 14.

For cases handled either online or by call centres, 57.6% of close contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate.

The prime minister promised test and trace would be 'world-beating'. Credit: PA

A total of 101,494 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England at least once in the week to October 14, according to the figures.

This is an increase of 12% in positive cases on the previous week and is the highest weekly number since Test and Trace was launched at the end of May.

Just 15.1% of people who were tested for Covid-19 in England in the week ending October 14 at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit – a so-called “in-person” test – received their result within 24 hours.

This is down from 32.8% in the previous week and is the lowest weekly percentage since Test and Trace began.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pledged that, by the end of June, the results of all in-person tests would be back within 24 hours.

He told the House of Commons on June 3 that he would get “all tests turned around within 24 hours by the end of June, except for difficulties with postal tests or insuperable problems like that”.

Only 2.9% of people in England who used a home test kit for Covid-19 received their result within 24 hours in the week to October 14.

This is up slightly from 1.9% in the previous week.

Some 14.8% of people received the result of a home test within 48 hours, down from 16.0% in the previous week.