At 12pm on Thursday 19 November, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will publish its Module 7 report on testing, contact tracing and self-isolation.
The UK was among the first countries to develop a Covid test. Yet on 12 March 2020, as infections rose, the government suspended widespread community testing. South Korea used testing and tracing to contain outbreaks early. Professor Anthony Costello told the Inquiry that more than 180,000 deaths might have been avoided had the UK followed South Korea’s approach and matched its excess death rate.
In England, NHS Test and Trace had a £37 billion budget over two years. Yet many people could not afford to stay home when asked to isolate. The programme’s own head told the Inquiry that money went unspent and that better financial support could have saved lives.
Our members want Thursday’s report to identify who was responsible for these decisions and what must change before the next pandemic.
