UK tracers unable to reach quarter of people who came into contact with Covid-19 cases

NHS Test and Trace Service could not reach a quarter of contacts with Covid-19 cases. Picture: PA

One in four people who came into close contact with someone infected with coronavirus could not be reached by the NHS Test and Trace service, new figures show.

Data from the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) revealed the number of people in England testing positive for Covid-19 had increased for the third week running, with 4,128 confirmed cases between July 16 and 22.