Police with Covid told not to name colleagues they’ve been in contact with

A report on Sky News said that Police Officers with coronavirus have been told not to report names of colleagues they have been in contact with to the Government’s own test and trace system.

Sky Correspondent Rowland Manthorpe said: “What happens to police officers? If they have been contacted by someone from the test and trace scheme, they will be told not to report names of fellow police officers but instead they will be referred to local public health experts, but how do they run checks? Will police officers be checked?

“Dido Harding is running this scheme, she is about to take questions from members of the Health and Social Care Committee and there are so many questions she has to answer.

“My guess to why they are not not taking part in national scheme is because the government is worried they could shut down a police station really easily and quickly as one officer who tests positive means everyone has to go into self-isolation.

“The questions is how is this going to work, what will happen and all those crucial details are still being worked out.”

Death toll

The UK’s coronavirus death toll passed 50,000 as Boris Johnson was accused of presiding over a Government that lacked the “trust and confidence” of the British people.

At a fractious Prime Minister’s Questions Mr Johnson clashed with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about his approach to easing the lockdown and reopening England’s schools.

The Prime Minister defended NHS England’s test and trace system – one of the key measures introduced to help the return to something approaching normality – but promised to increase the speed with which concerned people get the results of coronavirus tests.

The Commons clashes came as the grim milestone of 50,000 deaths linked to Covid-19 was passed, according to analysis of official figures by the PA news agency.

The Prime Minister defended his handling of the crisis, telling MPs: “I take full responsibility for everything this Government has been doing in tackling coronavirus and I’m very proud of our record.”

Joe Mellor

Head of Content