England’s $32 billion COVID-19 test and trace not making a difference, lawmakers say

England’s $32 billion test and trace system has not made a clear impact on the progress of COVID-19, the British parliament’s Public Accounts Committee said on Wednesday, decrying the “unimaginable” costs of the programme.

England’s $32 billion COVID-19 test and trace not making a difference, lawmakers say

The vast amounts spent on England’s test and trace system and its limited impact has drawn criticism, with opposition politicians calling for it to be run by the state-run health service.

The Public Accounts Committee said that Test and Trace had cost 23 billion pounds ($32 billion) so far but had not achieved a key goal of avoiding a cycle of national lockdowns.

“Despite the unimaginable resources thrown at this project Test and Trace cannot point to a measurable difference to the progress of the pandemic,” chair of the committee, opposition Labour party lawmaker Meg Hillier said.