Shambolic coronavirus Test and Trace system could be outsourced to AMAZON, secret plans reveal

THE UK’S coronavirus Test and Trace system could be outsourced to firms such as Amazon, plans have revealed.

As cases of the virus continue to rise in the UK, demand for tests has also increased and many have been unable to access swab kits.

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Now Government sources claim that “experts in delivery” are needed to step up and cope with the demand.

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said tests would be rationed to those most in need as many flocked to drive-through sites across the county.

revealed that an information notice has been issued by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The notice calls for companies interested in managing and coordinating the effort to register their interest.

It reads: "In order to significantly scale up the number of daily tests as well as making the operations more efficient, we are looking for an end-to-end management of all associated supply chain and logistics processes along the chain."

Logistics firms such as DHL and Amazon will have a chance to bid for the contract.

Speaking to the paper, a Government source said more help was needed to help the service cope with increased demand.

They claimed that while NHS Test and Trace has so far been “in house”, experts would need to take it over in the winter months.

Whoever wins the contract will be charged with delivering 500,000 tests a day as the government continues its efforts to boost capacity.

People across the country have been seen waiting and lining up outside tests sites.

Figures from the Department of Health show that just one in three people who turn up for tests in England are getting the results within 24 hours.

Increased demand

Despite the Government reopening schools and urging people to return to the office, the head of Test and Trace yesterday said that no one was expecting “really sizeable increase in demand”.

Baroness Dido Harding admitted that demand is outstripping capacity.

Further figures from Test and Trace yesterday revealed that cases of the coronavirus have rocketed by 167 per cent in just two weeks.

Experts behind the scheme said that positive cases have been rising since the start of July and are now double the number recorded in May.

In total 18,371 new people tested positive for the virus this week.

This is an increase of 75 per cent in positive cases on the previous week, and is the highest weekly number since Test and Trace was launched.

Test and Trace is in place across the UK.

If you test positive for the coronavirus you will be contacted by a team member at Test and Trace and will be asked to provide details of anyone you may have been in contact with.

You will be asked where you have been and you will also be asked to provide contact details of any people you were in close contact with in the 48 hours before your symptoms started.