Coronavirus test and trace to go live TOMORROW and there could be fines for breaking rules, Boris Johnson confirms

THE UK’s coronavirus test and trace system will go live from tomorrow under plans to free 60 million from lockdown.

Brits will be told to “do their civic duty” and stay at home if they are identified as having come into contact with a positive Covid case.

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock unveiled the Government’s track and trace blueprint, which aims to “hunt down” the spread of the virus, at the Downing Street press briefing today.

But the “ground-breaking” NHS app being trialled on the Isle of Wight is still not ready to launch.
Instead, the scheme will rely on 25,000 trackers who will use detective work to trace at-risk Brits.

Anyone who gets a call from the team of experts will have to isolate for 14 days – even if they have no symptoms themselves.

That will happen if they have come within 2metres of an infected person for longer than 15 minutes.

If anyone has symptoms at all they must order a test by calling 119, or going online.

However, the Prime Minister stressed that no one will face fines for breaking the rules – yet.

If they don’t comply then he will consider bringing in tough penalties.

And the Government will use “whack-a-mole” tactics to lockdown specific areas if any flare ups occur, he said.

Boris Johnson told MPs this afternoon: “This is our way out, this is our way of defeating the virus, getting our country back on its feet and I think people will want to work together.

“Of course we will keep sanctions on the table and as we develop the system we will review constantly.”

The PM admitted that it was a “grave imposition” on the nation but insisted that people have “got to do it” for the good of the nation.

It will only be a “small minority of the population” who will have to isolate, and it would mean the over 66 million people can get on with their day-to-day lives.

However, he did did admit that the “brutal reality” was that Britain had failed to learn the lessons of previous viruses SARS and MERS.

“Unfortunately we did not have capacity in Pubic Health England – we didn’t have the enzymes, we just didn’t have the volume.
“Nor did we have enough experience trackers ready to mount the kind of operation.
“The brutal reality is this country did not learn the lessons of SARS or MERS and we did not have a test operation ready to go on the scale we needed.”

Brits will have to hand over their contact details if they test positive, but no information will be handed over to the police if people break lockdown rules.