Tory ministers are planning to give councils more control over coronavirus contact-tracing after a string of failures and a massive cost to the taxpayer.
The shift emerged after the privatised NHS Test and Trace failed to reach 31.4% of Covid sufferers' close contacts last week - the worst rate since it launched in May.
A blunder also meant more than 15,000 positive cases were not sent to contact tracers until days afterwards. A source told the Sunday Times the government wants to "extend" local plans trialled in 60 areas, where council staff pick up the most difficult cases from Test and Trace.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick appeared to confirm the plans - saying local knowledge is "bound to be better" than a call centre.
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