NEW figures have revealed the coronavirus test and trace system failed to track down more than half of close contacts of positive cases in Middlesbrough.
The borough ranked as one of the worst areas in the country with just 47 per cent of “non-complex close contacts” identified through the NHS coronavirus tracking system.
Government statistics were collated from the end of May until August 19 and broken down by council area.
They showed only 135 out of 285 close contacts were reached via the system in Middlesbrough during the 12 week period.
However, performance on transferring people to the contact tracing system was better – with 69 per cent of positive cases sent over to test and trace.
Outbreak plans at authorities across Teesside have been tested in the past week – with 81 new cases recorded in the region in the past 72 hours.
On Tuesday, Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston sounded a warning about cases rising once again in the borough amid a number of flare ups at pubs and eateries in the town.
Eight cases have been linked to the Apple Tree pub, in Marton Manor, while The Yellow Rose, in Linthorpe, said it was closing temporarily after a customer who visited on Sunday tested positive for Covid.
National figures on the performance of test and trace showed three-quarters of people who tested positive for Covid were reached through the test and trace system – falling below Government targets.
However, cases handled by local teams saw more contacts successfully traced than those tracked down online or through call centres.
Health chiefs in Middlesbrough announced a “hyper local” testing pilot in the borough in July to spring into action in harder to reach communities.
The pilot aimed to reach isolated families or residents who might not have the means to get hold of a test quickly, or reach a testing centre, by using voluntary group and organisations.
Elsewhere on Teesside, 215 out of 353 close contacts were tracked down through the system in Stockton (61 per cent) while Redcar and Cleveland saw 85 out of 114 contacts traced (75 per cent) over the three month period.
The symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to taste or smell.
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