Extra funding to keep contact tracing running until September

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Health boards in Wales will share of £50m funding to keep coronavirus contact tracing systems in place until September.

The funding, announced by Health Minister Vaughan Gething, will keep the contact tracing workforce in place over the summer.

The minister also announced people who are close contacts of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, and have been asked to self-isolate as a result, will be offered a coronavirus test.

Welsh Government said contact tracers in Wales have reached 99.6% of positive cases who were eligible for a follow up, as well as 95% of their close contacts to advise whether or not they need to self-isolate.

Mr Gething said: “Although new case numbers have responded well to the current lockdown restrictions, there are significant uncertainties around the trajectory of the pandemic, which means it is highly likely we will need to maintain a substantial contact tracing operation for the foreseeable future.

“Even with the rollout of the vaccination programme, testing and tracing will remain a vital part of our approach as lockdown restrictions ease and to tackle any new variants as people arrive from overseas.”