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Crucial ‘track and trace’ plan to beat coronavirus still weeks away because number of infected is ‘too high’

A CRUCIAL new ‘track and trace’ plan to beat coronavirus is still weeks away after it emerged the current number of cases is far too high.

Chasing down people that new sufferers have mixed with to halt contagion chains has proved hugely successful in countries like South Korea and Germany

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 A new ‘track and trace’ plan to beat coronavirus is still weeks away after it emerged the current number of cases is too high
A new ‘track and trace’ plan to beat coronavirus is still weeks away after it emerged the current number of cases is too highCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last week announced the NHS is recruiting 18,000 contact tracers to do the same in Britain.

But for track and trace to work, ministers believe the number who currently have the virus will need to be reduced to 100,000 first, The Sun can reveal.

At the moment, the estimated number is still running at 350,000, according to the King’s College London tracker.

Without the track and trace scheme in place, it is likely the Cabinet will decide the full lockdown will have to stay in place beyond the next review point on May 7 in nine days time.

One senior government figure told The Sun: “For track and trace to work, we need both the reproduction rate as well as the actual level of infection to come down.

“While the R rate is below one, we’ve got some way to go on overall numbers.

"We need to get the infection pool down to around 100,000 live cases before we can control it with track and trace and the NHS app.”

 For track and trace to work, ministers believe the number who currently have the virus will need to be reduced to 100,000 first
For track and trace to work, ministers believe the number who currently have the virus will need to be reduced to 100,000 firstCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Professional volunteers for the track and trace scheme have still not been contacted by the government, it also emerged.

One environmental health professional who gave his name to Public Health England two weeks ago told The Sun last night he still hasn’t received a call to ask him to begin training.

Ministers also privately admitted last night that the government’s target of 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month will be missed by a week.

With just two days to go until the deadline on Thursday, Mr Hancock last night insisted he is still “confident” he will meet his target, while admitting there was “a lot of work still to do this week”.

But insiders say it was blown off course by a delay in regulators signing off home testing kits, which have only just started being despatched.

The latest daily figures show a capacity to carry out 53,892 a day, but just 29,058 being completed.

No10 also said it will be won't be possible to know if the 100,000 target is hit on Thursday as it takes up to 72 hours for the results of home tests to be reported.

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Public Health England have faced serious questions why it halted contact tracing in the UK on March 12.

Confirming the need to push down the number of cases before it can be reintroduced, Matt Hancock told the No10 press conference last night: “The lower the number of new cases, the more effective a system of test track and case will be”.

“We need to get the track and the trace part up and running as we bring tests on line so we can bring the overall number down.”

HEALTH WORKERS USING NEW APP TO FLAG PPE NEEDS IN REAL TIME

Health workers on the frontline are using a new data platform to communicate their protective equipment needs in real time during the coronavirus crisis.

Frontline.Live gives health workers the opportunity to say what specific PPE they need and where manufacturers can help, and hopes to match medical staff with the relevant suppliers across the country.

According to the latest data from the platform, PPE needs are highest in the Midlands, London and the South West.

Figures also show that gowns (around 50%) and safety glasses/visors (50%) are the most in-demand items across the board.

From the suppliers who have registered, 70% can provide safety glasses/visors, and 30% can provide gowns to NHS staff in need.

Frontline.live, set up by a team of dedicated volunteers, is free to sign up to, and over 70 suppliers have already joined to help NHS heroes.

Give now to The Sun's NHS appeal

BRITAIN’s four million NHS staff are on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

But while they are helping save lives, who is there to help them?

The Sun has launched an appeal to raise £1MILLION for NHS workers. The Who Cares Wins Appeal aims to get vital support to staff in their hour of need.

We have teamed up with NHS Charities Together in their urgent Covid-19 Appeal to ensure the money gets to exactly who needs it.

The Sun is donating £50,000 and we would like YOU to help us raise a million pounds, to help THEM. No matter how little you can spare, please donate today here: www.thesun.co.uk/whocareswinsappeal.

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