Weren't these millions of anti body game changer tests supposed to be happening from Monday June 1st.?
According to Hancock yesterday, 'it is your civic duty to self isolate if you are contacted during this test and trace phase'. Mandatory at first but may become compulsory. Will this mean 'it's your civic duty' to download the app from next week? The app was originally announced for mid May but has been delayed (yet another delay) until next week.
The government said that this test and trace phase was also a game changer. It involves people who are tested positive telling a tracer who they've been in contact with, that person/s will get a phone call and asked to self isolate. This was the system that was ditched in March but is now announced as a game changer.
No wonder the TUC are raising concerns about self isolating and sick pay.
The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said:
We need a testing and tracing programme up and running as soon as possible.
But it will not be effective if workers are pushed into hardship when they are required to self-isolate.
Statutory sick pay is just £95 per week – and two million workers aren’t even eligible for that.
If workers can’t afford to self-isolate, then they will be forced to keep working.
That will put them, their workmates and their local community at risk, and undermine the entire test and trace programme.
Are the two million workers not eligible EU nationals? If so, when will they change the law? Yet again, they're introducing something they haven't thoroughly thought through. Mind, this 'grand game changer announcement yesterday could have been design to get other news off the front pages.