DEPARTMENT for Health and Social Care data shows that 3,994 people were told to self-isolate, the highest recorded level in six months, figures have revealed.

The data shows those who were told to self-isolate after being in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 in the week to July 7.

This is the highest number since January 20, which was three weeks after the country entered into the third national lockdown.

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Unite has said that hundreds of employees are off work at some sites, especially in automotive sectors, with alerts from the NHS app causing “havoc” on production lines.

The contact traces ask new patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.

The figures show that 4,495 people who came into close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 in North Yorkshire were transferred to Test and Trace in the week of July 7.

This means that 501 contacts were not reached by the service, and figures do not include those told to isolate in specific settings such as schools and prisons.

Across England more then 160,000 cases were transferred to the contact tracing system between July 1 and 7, with 381,000 people identified as coming into close contact with someone who had tested positive, which is also the highest number since the week ending January 20.

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Separate figures also show that more than half a million alerts were sent to users of the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales telling them to self-isolate.

There are calls to bring forward the August 16 date, where the fully vaccinated will not have to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone with Covid-19.

Stephan Phipson, chief executive of manufacturing organisation Make UK, said: “This is a problem that has escalated significantly over the last week with more and more companies being affected by isolation, with not just an impact on production but a hit to actual shipments of goods going overseas.

“This is an increasingly serious issue affecting companies of all sizes and sectors.

"There is now an urgent priority for Government to bring forward the August date given the likely impact of restrictions being lifted next week.”

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said: “We are asking people who are contacted by the app to continue to isolate, that’s what we’ve asked people to do since the app was launched.

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“The reason for that is not just to protect themselves but also to try and break the chain of transmission to other people that they may come into contact with.

“The Prime Minister spoke about the fact that we are seeing case numbers increase, and obviously as a result you would expect to see the numbers of people being notified to self-isolate increase also.”

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