Boris Johnson Admits the U.K. Covid Testing System Must Improve

(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson said he’s frustrated at the performance of the U.K.’s Covid-19 test and trace system, which he has repeatedly billed as “world-beating,” and said it needs to improve to help defeat the virus.

The prime minister was speaking after official figures showed only 59.6% of contacts of people who tested positive in England were reached by tracers in the week ending Oct. 14 -- the lowest proportion since the system began.

The weekly government data, published Thursday, also showed 15.1% of people tested in England had their results returned within 24 hours, also the lowest percentage on record.

“I share people’s frustrations and I understand totally why we do want to see faster turnaround times,” Johnson said in a televised press conference on Thursday. “We do need to improve it, we need to make sure that people who do get a positive test self-isolate.”

But he insisted the achievements of the testing system have been “colossal” and the U.K. is on track to reach its target of processing 500,000 tests a day by the end of October.

Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said test and trace works best where case numbers are lower and has “much less of an impact” in areas with high infection rates.

He said it is vital to ensure contacts are traced and positive cases isolated quickly, preferably within 48 hours. “It’s very clear there’s room for improvement on all that,” he said.

It’s why tough restrictions, such as shutting down pubs and bars in the worst-hit areas, are necessary to cut the number of contacts, he said.

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