Bradford becomes second Yorkshire area to set up local test and trace system ahead of announcement on coronavirus restrictions

Bradford has become the latest local authority to implement their own test and trace service as an announcement is expected to be made on coronavirus restrictions in West Yorkshire today.

Bradford Council joins Calderdale in putting in place their own programme, with a team of local contact tracers to reach those who cannot be contacted by the national scheme.

It means contact tracers will be able to turn up at the homes of those they are attempting to contact as well as using calls and texts to alert them if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

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People without symptoms will also be tested, with tests carried out on doorsteps if necessary.

People pass through a Covid-19 testing centre at Bradford University in West Yorkshire, one of the areas where new measures have been implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Stricter rules have been introduced for people in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire, and West Yorkshire, banning members of different households from meeting each other indoors. Photo: PAPeople pass through a Covid-19 testing centre at Bradford University in West Yorkshire, one of the areas where new measures have been implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Stricter rules have been introduced for people in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire, and West Yorkshire, banning members of different households from meeting each other indoors. Photo: PA
People pass through a Covid-19 testing centre at Bradford University in West Yorkshire, one of the areas where new measures have been implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Stricter rules have been introduced for people in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire, and West Yorkshire, banning members of different households from meeting each other indoors. Photo: PA

Director of Public Health Sarah Muckle said: “The virus has not gone away and Bradford is one of the places placed on high alert because of the high number of cases we have.

“We know that the key to controlling COVID-19 is breaking the chain of transmission and that the best way to do that is to understand who has the virus and who they might have passed it to.

“Once we know that, we can ask those people to take themselves out of circulation so the virus has nowhere left to go.

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“A local test and trace programme run by local people supplementing the national NHS Test and Trace programme is absolutely critical to getting on top of COVID-19 and returning to normal life.”

It comes as Test and Trace figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) show that, for cases handled by local teams, 98.0 per cent of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 have been reached and asked to self-isolate.

By contrast, for those cases handled either online or by call centres, 56.1 per cent of close contacts have been reached and asked to self-isolate.

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And councils across England will now be offered near real-time data on outbreaks in their area.

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NHS Test and Trace has two ways of handling cases depending on their complexity.

Public Health England local health protection teams manage so-called “complex” cases linked to outbreaks, with examples including someone who works or has recently visited a hospital, care home, prison or school for people with special needs.

And for other cases, referred to as so-called “non-complex” cases, these are reached either online or by call centre.

The figures were published amid concerns about the effectiveness of the operation, with experts warning that the NHS Test and Trace system must rapidly improve to cope with the pressures expected once schools fully return in September and as winter approaches.

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Boris Johnson repeated his claim that the system was “world-beating”, telling reporters on Thursday: “If you look at what we are doing, actually I think it certainly is – it certainly does fit that description of ‘world-beating’.

“I think I’m right in saying that we are now testing more – per head of population – than virtually any other country in Europe, certainly, in America they are testing a huge number of people.”

He said the test and trace system was “absolutely crucial” for the Government’s coronavirus strategy.

“If you look at what we are doing with some of the local social distancing measures that we are bringing back in, that’s entirely driven by our ability to detect cases through local test and trace, working with our local authorities and taking the right local measures,” he said.

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There has been a consistent gap between local teams and call centres/online since the Test and Trace system launched.

Calderdale Council, which covers Halifax and surrounding areas, was the second authority to make the move after Blackburn and Darwen said it was setting up a locally focused system to utilise community knowledge.

But senior officials insist that the Test and Trace programme is not at odds with local systems, and is working in partnership with local authorities and their local health protection teams.

Since the launch of Test and Trace, 199,524 close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate.

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This is 82.2 per cent out of a total of 242,749 people identified as close contacts.

The remaining 43,225 people (17.8 per cent) were identified as close contacts, but were not reached.

The weekly figures show that 72.4 per cent of close contacts were reached in the week ending July 29, down from 76.2% in the previous week, and down on the 90.7 per cent reached in the first week of Test and Trace (week ending June 3).

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, during a visit to north Wales, said: “We don’t need a world-beating track and trace system, we need an effective one and we haven’t got it.

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“This is vital to everything that happens. If this doesn’t work it’s very difficult to see how we’re going forward.”

Justin Madders, shadow health minister, said he is deeply concerned that “the numbers are heading in the wrong direction again this week”, adding: “We now need a plan of action from ministers that sets out what they are doing to address these huge holes in the contact tracing system.

“If this means supporting local areas to establish their own local contact tracing systems and ending the failed contract with Serco – as Labour has been calling for, for some time – then ministers must get on and implement this without delay

The Government is expected to make an announcement later today on the status of the local lockdown measures in the North West of England and Leicester.

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Measures banning mixing between households were due for review on Thursday, a week after they were brought in for residents in Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire, as well as Leicester.

Local leaders in Preston warned on Thursday that it could become the latest area to face a Government intervention, amid rising infection rates in the Lancashire city.

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