NEW: Public Health England has found 15,841 positive cases that weren't registered on its data system
As a result, 22,961 have been reported today for England
The graph of cases now looks like this 📈
What on earth happened? We still don't know. But *something* went wrong with the computer system on 24 September
This chart showing the build-up of missing cases was sent out to directors of public health in the north-west earlier today
The note sent to directors of public health explains what this means in practical terms.
They've been told:
1. This issue does not affect anyone's results. Everyone who tested positive was informed "in the normal way" and asked to self-isolate
2. The problem with the data had no impact on local lockdowns. The note says:
"This IT issue has no impact on the decisions that were made at GOLD this week regarding local restrictions; if anything it shows that the virus is in an endemic phase and rising."
The real impact is on Test and Trace. None of these positive cases have been contact traced - they're now dealing with an epic backlog
And that's actually an impact for everyone. 15k people untraced (and by now it's probably too late)... not good for containing the outbreak
Deleting that last tweet now I've had a chance to speak to some more people
Public Health England officials SAY the error goes back to Test and Trace. One tells me: "We report the data when they send it. We didn’t get it."
Others disagree. This could go on...
How will Test and Trace deal with the sudden backlog?
Tier 2 contact tracers were sent this text on Saturday. All hands to the pump
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This is a huge story. One source tells me that Roche supplies 1 in 5 labs in the UK. The implications of shortages are terrifying news.sky.com/story/thousand…
The focus will be on coronavirus, but this goes far far beyond that. Roche supplies everything from cancer tests to home monitoring systems for patients with heart conditions
At a moment when the NHS is under intense pressure, this will only intensify it
What's the issue? Roche is building new automated warehouse to increase capacity ahead of Brexit
The new warehouse isn’t working, but they haven’t got a backup warehouse - and most labs don't hold their own stock. It's a just-in-time nightmare
The final part of the PM's speech, where he cast forward to 2023, was fascinating. Digital IDs, electric vehicles, super-fast broadband... to enable a life of family and quiet local living
A vision of techno-Conservatism?
Found the bit. He painted a vision of technological transformation, then said it would allow young people in their 20s and 30s to "bring up children in the neighbourhoods where they grew up themselves...
"...and instead of being dragged on big commutes to the city they can start a business in their home town"
This will - I imagine - be appealing to many. But can the UK pivot away from its model in the teeth of a pandemic? And what does this mean for struggling city centres?
The Northumbria University outbreak gives a fresh perspective to the SAGE minutes from 1 September, which were released today
SAGE identified numerous risks with opening colleges and universities, warning that it "has the potential to drive outbreaks"
You don't say
The SAGE minutes pose the question every student must be asking: now they're at uni, how will they ever leave?
SAGE says the risks of national transmission from universities will peak when students go home for Christmas - and that managing it will need “national oversight”
The covid situation in universities is getting a lot of attention, for understandable reasons. All the same it's worth bearing in mind the latest data, which shows clusters coming overwhelmingly in schools
A Test and Trace source says the speed of spread in schools came as a surprise
"Schools have been a disaster. The amount of calls, volume of cases. Within only days of schools going back... It swamped health protection and risked other stuff being missed"
This might well be the future for universities and obviously there are complicating circumstances. (Did they need to go back at all?) But there are a lot more students in school than university and the spread is happening there right now