How will the NHS test and trace system work and who will need to isolate

The new NHS test and trace service will launch tomorrow across England.

The government have described it as an important part of their coronavirus recovery strategy

The purpose of the new system is to move from a model where everyone is in national lockdown to having people in individual isolation.

What does the government say about the system?

The Government's "test, track and trace" programme to monitor the spread of coronavirus in the UK will give people more freedom and allow the public to get back to a "normal degree of life", according to the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.

How does it work?

From tomorrow (Thursday 28th May) the government is asking anyone with symptoms to get a test.

If they test positive officials will then start contacting anyone who has been in close contact with them.

Those people will be told that they need to isolate for 14 days - even if they have no symptoms.

Data will be analysed to decide whether workplaces, schools, housing estates or blocks of flats are locked down to quell local outbreaks.

What do I do if I experience symptoms?
Contact the NHS by visiting  nhs.uk/coronavirus  or by calling 119 and arrange to get tested as soon as possible then self-isolate.
There are now 50 drive-through testing sites and more than 100 mobile testing units in England.
If positive you will be asked to self-isolate for seven days from when symptoms started and asked for the details of anyone you have recently been in contact with.
Anyone else in your household will be advised to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

What happens if I’ve been near someone with coronavirus?

You will be contacted by phone, email or post and advised to self-isolate at home.
If you have developed symptoms you will be asked to self-isolate for seven days and sent for a test. This will probably involve you travelling to a testing centre, rather than using a home testing kit, so that results can be obtained quickly.
If you have no symptoms you will be advised to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution but will not be eligible for a test.

Who will have to isolate?

If you are ill with the disease or if you have been in close contact with someone who is ill with the disease.

Experts say that the public will know if they have been within two metres of someone if they are adhering to the social distancing guidelines. Or if there are local lockdown measures in place calling on people to act.

How will testing increase?

The government’s current daily target is 100,000 coronavirus tests.

But the Prime Minister has said he wants that to increase to 200,000 by the end of May.

What is the trace element?

The Government has also hired 25,000 contact tracers, who will follow cases of the virus and contact people they think could be infected.

One third of the group of contact tracers are doctors.

The rest are call centre staff working virtually across the country.

There are another 20,000 people working in the testing part of the service as well.

In total there are around 50,000 people working in NHS test and trace.

What about the app?

The app which was originally expected to be launched alongside the testing and tracing programme is still not ready.

But today an official described it as the “cherry” on the cake and not the cake itself.

So far, the NHS app has been piloted on the Isle of Wight, and seen more than half of the island's residents download it.

The original plan had been to launch the app alongside the 25,000 human contact tracers.

It will use Bluetooth to detect mobile phones belonging to other app-users and notify the owner that they have been close to someone who has tested positive.

How will local lockdowns work?

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the daily press conference on Tuesday: “We will have local lockdowns in future where there are flare-ups and we have a system we are putting in place with a combination of Public Health England and the new Joint Biosecurity Centre, along with the local directors of public health who play an absolutely crucial role in the decision-making in the system, to make sure if there is a local flare-up there is a local lockdown.”

The government’s road map for easing lockdown restrictions set out how the Joint Biosecurity Centre would have a “response function” that could address local spikes in infections, in partnership with local public health agencies.

This could lead to local schools, businesses or workplaces being closed in areas with high prevalence of infection, it said.

Could you get in trouble if you’ve broken the lockdown rules?

No. The government officials have been very clear that this is about public health and not about punishment.