Cumbria’s COVID-19 contact tracing success rate has fallen for the fourth week running, amid a record number of new positive cases.
Data from the Department for Health and Social care shows 3,167 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Cumbria were transferred to the Test and Trace service between May 28 and October 21.
That means 900 new cases were transferred in the latest seven-day period – the largest increase since the regime began.
Contact tracers ask new patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.
This led to 7,406 close contacts being identified over the period – those not managed by local health protection teams, which are dealt with through a call centre or online.
But 64 per cent were reached – a figure that has fallen steadily over a four-week period.
Across England, 58.1 per cent of contacts not managed by local health protection teams were reached and told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace in the latest week to October 21.
Local health protection teams deal with cases linked to settings such as hospitals, schools and prisons.
The contact tracing rate including these cases was 60.3 per cent – up slightly from the week before, when it was at a record low.
Around 120,000 new cases were transferred nationally in the week to October 21.
Meanwhile, Carlisle will have Tier 2 lockdown restrictions imposed on it from 12.01am tomorrow. It joins Barrow, which was placed under Tier 2 restrictions two weeks ago.
Tier 2 restrictions include households not mixing indoors and travel advice is to reduce the number of journeys where possible.
Allerdale, Eden, Copeland and South Lakeland remain at Tier 1.
