£37bn Test and Trace system to b axed as teams told there’s ‘no money left’

It appears that the £37bn Test and Trace system is being wound down, meaning as many as 10,000 jobs for Test and Trace workers could be axed – despite growing fears of a winter crisis in the NHS.

The Sunday Mirror reports a major step to winding down the expensive Test and Trace system could come as soon as next week.

Sources told the paper that Serco and Sitel will not renew their contract when it runs out on November 30, following the emergence of the leaked dossier ‘Operation Rampdown’ last week – which revealed government plans to scale down emergency Covid measures.

The Mirror says it’s now set to be closed down due to crippling costs, with teams reportedly told there was ‘no money left’.

Serco declined to comment but insiders have said they won’t renew their contract at the end of the month.

The news comes as a new wave of Covid-19 spreads across mainland Europe, plunging Austria back into lockdown.

A new strain of the Delta variant is also spreading across the UK, which is less likely to cause symptoms but is believed to be 10 to 15% more infectious.

The Government-funded Test and Trace scheme was launched in 2020 to track the spread of Covid-19.

Its initial budget was £15 billion, which rose to £22 billion in November 2022, with an extra £15 billion allocated this year.