Test, Trace, Track, Isolate. Then What?

by Les May

I’M REASONABLY sure that the government will some day manage to get a system for testing, tracing, tracking and isolating of people suffering from Covid-19 working.  Probably not as well or as quickly as it has led us to believe, and probably relying on good old ‘shoe leather’ tracing more than the wonderful ‘app’ in which so much faith has been placed, but eventually.

This approach has been successful in South Korea where nationals face up to one year in jail and a fine of 10 million won (nearly £7000) with up to three years in jail and a fine of 20 million won for foreigners, if they fail to quarantine themselves for fourteen days.  Those coming to the UK will be told to isolate themselves for fourteen days with a penalty of £1,000 for those who fail to do so. There will be much smaller fines for residents.

But there seems to be one difference between the way the authorities in South Korea approach this and the way the UK government seem to be doing.  In South Korea those told to quarantine can expect visits to check that they are where they should be, which we are told will happen here, but in South Korea they also have food delivered to their door.

Since late March the advice has been that households where someone has Covid-19 should isolate for fourteen days.  This could become 28 days for some people if someone they live with only becomes symptomatic at the end of the isolation period.

If we are to learn to live with this virus isolation will continue to be an important part of the strategy and it may be required of some individuals more than once. People are more likely to do this if they can be sure that they will not have to worry about feeding themselves.  I’ve not heard anyone speaking for the government say that some thought has been given to the problem of how those who are in home quarantine will feed themselves.  These are practical problems and they need practical answers.  Why not involve local councils and ask them to set up a scheme appropriate to local needs?

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