From Thursday, anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions, the Government has announced.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:
@As we move to the next stage of our fight against coronavirus, we will be able to replace national lockdowns with individual isolation and, if necessary, local action where there are outbreaks.”
He added:
“NHS Test and Trace will be vital to stopping the spread of the virus. It is how we will be able to protect our friends and family from infection, and protect our NHS.
“This new system will help us keep this virus under control while carefully and safely lifting the lockdown nationally.”
People identified as having been in close contact with someone who has a positive test must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to stop unknowingly spreading the virus.
Hancock added that in the coming weeks, we’ll move away from a blanket lockdown and focus on local action to tackle local flare-ups.
The system will be voluntary at first, he says, but this can be made mandatory if that’s what it takes Hancock said adding:
It’s your civic duty to follow the instructions, Hancock says.
