Test, Track and trace

From today, trials began for a new ‘test, track and trace’ programme on the Isle of Wight, which will enable us to continue controlling the spread of the virus, while gradually getting people back to work.
  • Test and trace will enable the UK to gradually ease some elements of the lockdown, whilst not risking a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS.
     
  • The NHS Covid-19 App will allow users to report if they contracted Covid-19 symptoms and then anonymously contact others they have been in significant contact with.
     
  • Every necessary step has been taken to ensure the protection and privacy of app users’ data. The government has collaborated internationally and learned from examples of best practice across the world, informing the development of a bespoke approach that is right for the unique needs of the UK.
     
  • The NHS Covid-19 App will help reduce the chance of the virus spreading by enabling us to rapidly identify people most at risk of infection so they can take action to protect themselves, the people they care about and the NHS.

Comments

Jim said…
Test track and trace is indeed the way forward, however a national level app is not really the way forward. A local telephone, foot/car patrol system would be more effective.

The best line I heard on the app was "download and give all your data to Dominic Cummings, what could possibly go wrong?"
10:42 am
Anonymous said…
Dominic Cummings is but an employee. Lay any blame where it belongs, with this remarkable Conservative Government.
2:24 pm
Jim said…
Blame, if you want to blame rather than solve the probem, really goes back though administrations. right the way back to 2005 in fact, that is when the flu plan had its first inception. It was from this point that test, track and trace was deemed un necessary after the intial exposure (a week or so), because we would have had plenty of notice from other nations then a vaccine would be well underway. Antivirals were to be used to control the outbreak, whilst the vaccine was completed and tested, thus the regional centers for test and trace have been removed over time.

Im all for pointing out where goverments go wrong, you might have noticed, but its very unfair to lay the blame at the door of the current government, well at least for that bit (testing) anyway.
5:54 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Agree that it's far more important to get the policy right now to protect lives and the economy first, and we have plenty of time to worry about raise or blame before the next election.

We need test, track and trace to be ab le to ease the lockdown without an unacceptable risk of infections and deaths taking off again.
11:56 pm
Anonymous said…
The Plan was never to protect lives, it was to protect the NHS. Lives don't matter.
7:55 am
Anonymous said…
No that's unfair. The primary objective was and is to Protect the NHS, saving lives is a secondary consequence.
8:00 am
Chris Whiteside said…
Good grief.

Saving lives is the top priority.

As everyone with two or more working brain cells should have no difficulty in understanding, far and away the most important of the many reasons to protect the NHS is precisely so that it can more effectively do the job of saving lives.

These are not separate and distinct objectives - they are part of the same aim.

The fact that the author or authors of the above posts did not have the guts to sign his, her of their name (or names) suggests that he/she/they know perfectly well how silly most people would find those posts.
9:21 pm
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