People 'shouldn't read too much' into missed Covid cases, Jeremy Hunt says

5 October 2020, 20:32 | Updated: 6 October 2020, 17:10

People 'shouldn't read too much' into Test and Trace issues, Jeremy Hunt says

Nick Hardinges

By Nick Hardinges

People should "not read too much" into the 16,000 missed Covid cases, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

The the ghair of the Health Select Committee suggested to LBC's Tom Swarbrick that glitches would be inevitable while the UK expands its testing capacity but that "it's important not to read too much into this week's particular events".

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons on Monday that half of the 16,000 missing coronavirus cases have been contacted for a second time by Test and Trace.

On Monday, Public Health England (PHE) apologised for the technical glitch that saw cases between 25 September and 2 October being left out of the reported daily infection figures.

It meant that daily totals reported on the government's coronavirus dashboard over the last week have been lower than the true number.

The problem was reportedly caused by an Excel spreadsheet reaching its maximum file size, which stopped new names being added in an automated process.

Read more: Only half of 'missing' Covid cases contacted by Test and Trace

Read more: Excel spreadsheet blamed for 16,000 missed Covid-19 cases

Jeremy Hunt suggested glitches are inevitable while the UK expands its testing capacity
Jeremy Hunt suggested glitches are inevitable while the UK expands its testing capacity. Picture: LBC

Asked if the issue with the Test and Trace system had left more people in harm's way, Mr Hunt said: "I think it's important not to read too much into this week's particular events.

"There's a massive expansion of testing going on. The reality is we're testing three times more than we were in the early summer and we're going to double it again by the end of this month.

"When you're doing that kind of expansion, you are going to have glitches.

"My question I really want to ask is: 'Given that we seem to be having quite a lot of these glitches happening, even when we get to 500,000 tests a day by the end of October, will we have cracked the problem?'

"I think we will still have more people wanting tests than we're able to supply tests and that's why I'm saying we need to have a look at the structures."

Watch: James O'Brien's reaction after 16,000 Covid cases missed from daily figures

Watch: Hancock shot himself in foot by over-promising on Test and Trace, caller says

Test and Trace programme scientific adviser says PM's 'world-beating' system promise isn't helpful

Asked what has gone so badly wrong, Mr Hunt said: "I think there's been a glitch, which has meant that whilst a group of people who tested positive for coronavirus were told, and therefore instructed to self-isolate, it didn't get fed into the system, so up to 15,000 of their close contacts weren't then contacted as they should have been."

He said the issue had now been "partially rectified" with over half of those close contacts being noted down and in the process of being contacted.

"That's obviously caused people to worry and that's what caused Matt Hancock to come to the Commons this afternoon."

Listen & subscribe: Global Player | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

More Tom Swarbrick

See more More Tom Swarbrick

Emma Webber (left) speaking to LBC

Mother of Nottingham attack victim Barnaby Webber blasts police ‘mistruths’ after force is put in special measures

Lord Harrington said there should be a cap on the number of asylum seekers the UK takes.

Former refugees minister Lord Harrington calls for a cap on the number of asylum seekers the UK takes

Mel Stride has backed the PM

Rishi Sunak has 'absolutely not' betrayed nation over Rwanda plan, insists minister after Braverman's attack on PM

Tom and caller

'Our family is there': Mother shares heartbreaking experience of being a British Jew during Israel-Hamas conflict

The ban will be brought into effect in months

'Children should be in the classroom to learn': Gillian Keegan orders 'blanket ban' of mobile phones in schools

Exclusive
Tributes have been paid to Elianne after she was stabbed to death in Croydon

Fellow pupil of schoolgirl stabbed to death in Croydon describes heartbreaking moment students were told of her killing

Scotland's first safe drug consumption space set to be openned

'Isn't this just decriminalising heroin?': Tom Swarbrick questions Labour MSP over first safe drug consumption room

The education secretary discusses educational reforms with Tom Swarbrick

Shadow education secretary says 'Building Schools for the Future Programme' would have prevented Raac crisis

Tom Swabrick

'Is it not completely mental?': Tom Swarbrick astonished as schools shut due to crumble-risk concrete before new term

Exam results

Equation sheets given to GCSE cohort in attempt lessen reduced grade inflation blow, schools minister says

Crime commentator on Adam Provan

Internal review of rapist ex-Met officer is the equivalent of 'marking your own homework', says crime commentator

Education Secretary discuss new Eton free schools on LBC

‘Bailed out by Eton’: Education Secretary discusses new free schools with Tom Swarbrick

Lucy Letby: We have to know what went so 'catastrophically wrong' says Tom Swarbrick

Lucy Letby: We have to know what went so 'catastrophically wrong' says Tom Swarbrick

Exclusive
Lord Edward Garnier has called for a public inquiry into Andrew Malkinson's case

Top lawyer blasts Andrew Malkinson rape case as the 'worst miscarriage of justice of the 21st century'

Suella Barge

Suella Braverman can't be blamed for housing migrants on barge with Legionella, ConservativeHome editor says

Tom Swarbrick on mortgages

It would be 'manifestly unfair' to use taxpayers' money to subsidise mortgages, Tom Swarbrick says