Coronavirus: Police to be given test-and-trace data to help enforce isolation rules

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Police forces are to be given the personal details of people told to self-isolate by the government’s test-and-trace service in an effort to help officers enforce the quarantine rules. The HSJ said the office of chief medical officer Chris Whitty had “expressed significant reservations” about the changes and warned it could discourage people from being tested if they knew police could access their information. A DHSC source told the HSJ: “The are worried that people will simply stop getting tested because it just opens them up to the risk of being tracked by police and fined, and so the department is creating a strong disincentive to testing, which creates a big public health risk.” But a separate government source defended the changes as a “balanced and pragmatic solution” to a “tricky problem”. This may lead to enforcement action being taken against you, which could include you being fined.” The guidance also states: “A police force may request information relating to positive Covid-19 tests from the NHS Test & Trace programme directly, where they are investigating a report of someone who may not be complying with the mandatory self-isolation period.” A DHCS spokesperson said: “It is a legal requirement for people who have tested positive for Covid-19 and their close contacts to self-isolate when formally notified to do so.