Hancock fuels hopes self-isolation could be slashed to SEVEN days

Matt Hancock today fuelled hopes that coronavirus self-isolation will be slashed to seven days – pointing out France already has a lower timescale.

The Health Secretary insisted that the decision on whether to cut the quarantine period for those who come into contact with infected individuals from 14 days would be ‘entirely led by the clinical science’.

He played down the idea that the reduction was needed because Britons were flouting instructions from contact tracers to stay at home, praising testing tsar Baroness Harding despite Tory calls for her to quit.

But he said France had reduced the amount of time people have to isolate based on scientific guidance.

‘It isn’t about the compliance issue. It’s about the overall clinical judgment of what time is required for isolation,’ Mr Hanock told Sky News.

‘Obviously I’d rather have isolation as short as is reasonably possible because of the impact it has on people’s lives, but it must be safe.’

The government’s Covid-19 taskforce is understood to be considering slashing self-isolation for those who come into contact with infected individuals to between a week and 10 days.

Concerns have been rising that people are failing to cooperate with Test & Trace due to the prospect of a lengthy period unable to work or go out.  

The quarantine changes – which could come into force within weeks but would not apply to those who test positive for the disease – come amid Tory calls for Baroness Harding to quit. Sir Bernard Jenkin said this morning that the testing tsar should take a ‘well earned break’ so the service can ‘move up several gears’.

Boris Johnson admitted that the service needed to get better last week and is believed to have been infuriated by bungles with figures recently. 

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sky News that ‘no final decisions’ have been taken. ‘This is going to be scientifically led,’ he said.

There are also claims that City dealmakers, hedge fund managers and company bosses flying into the UK could be exempted from border quarantine rules to help boost ‘global Britain’ after Brexit.  

But Mr Lewis played down the idea of high-flying executives being specifically let off quarantine. ‘Any changes that are made will apply to everybody,’ he said. 

Test and Trace – headed by Conservative peer Lady Harding – last week hit a record low with just 59.6 per cent of the contacts of people who tested positive for the disease being successfully contacted and told to self-isolate.

Test and Trace – headed by the Conservative peer Baroness Harding (pictured) – last week hit a record low with just 59.6 per cent of the contacts of people who tested positive for the disease being successfully contacted and told to self-isolate

In a further sign of the unrest at Westminster, senior Tory backbencher Sir Bernard Jenkin launched a scathing attack on the performance of the system, saying public consent and co-operation was ‘breaking down’.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge show, Sir Bernard said Lady Harding had been a ‘tremendous asset’ but the reins should now be handed to a ‘very senior military person’ who could handle the logistics involved.

‘The Test & Trace operation clearly needs to move up several gears,’ he said. 

Asked during interviews today whether Lady Harding was still the right person for the job, Mr Hancock replied: ‘Yes, of course.’

He said: ‘I look at the whole system and how it’s operating. It’s really easy to pick at one individual data point, but you have got to look at the system as a whole.

‘This is a system that’s expanding fast and is absolutely critical to helping reduce the spread of the virus.’