Test and Trace failing to reach almost half of Wakefield residents exposed to Covid-19

Almost half of people in Wakefield who have been exposed to Covid-19 have not been contacted by the government's Test and Trace scheme, it has been revealed.
Almost half of people in Wakefield who have been exposed to Covid-19 have not been contacted by the government's Test and Trace scheme, it has been revealed.Almost half of people in Wakefield who have been exposed to Covid-19 have not been contacted by the government's Test and Trace scheme, it has been revealed.
Almost half of people in Wakefield who have been exposed to Covid-19 have not been contacted by the government's Test and Trace scheme, it has been revealed.

New figures from the Department of Health and Social Care reveal that the Test and Trace scheme has been unable to contact almost half of those who have been in contact with someone shortly before they tested positive for the virus.

This is how many cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in each area of Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford

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Figures for the period from May 28 to August 12 reveal that Test and Trace staff have attempted to contact 622 people who have tested positive for the disease, and whose cases are deemed "non-complex".

In total, contact was established with 491 of these people, or around 79 per cent, who then provided the details of any recent close contacts.

But Test and Trace teams were able to get in touch with just 647 of a possible 1,162 confirmed close contacts.

This means that almost half of known contacts have not been contacted regarding their possible exposure to the virus.

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It comes as Wakefield Council warns that the district is "on the verge" of being forced into a local lockdown, as case numbers continue to climb.

The latest coronavirus figures for the district show that a total of 2,077 people have tested positive for the virus since March.

This includes 39 new cases confirmed between Wednesday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 25.

There have been at least 336 coronavirus-related deaths at hospitals run by the Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust, as well as 89 deaths at the district's care homes.