As lockdown is eased, more businesses re-open and people begin to return to work, the UK Government’s Test and Trace programme is key to controlling the spread of the coronavirus. It aims to limit infections by detecting and isolating those testing positive for COVID-19 and anyone they have been in close contact with.
If you test positive for COVID-19 you will be asked for details of those you have been in close contact with and they will be contacted by an NHS ‘contact tracer’ and asked to self-isolated and get tested if they have symptoms.
Be scam aware
To help avoid any scams which may use Test and Trace as a ploy to rob unsuspecting citizens of their personal and financial details, you should know who will be calling, what they will ask and what they won’t. Please share this information with any elderly or vulnerable family members, friends or neighbours.
Contact tracers will:
- call you from 0300 013 5000
- send you text messages from ‘NHS’
- ask for your full name and date of birth to confirm your identity, and postcode to offer support while self-isolating
- ask if you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms
- provide advice on what you must do as you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus
Contact tracers will never:
- ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to us (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
- ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product of any kind
- ask for any details about your bank account
- ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
- ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
- disclose any of your personal or medical information to your contacts
- provide medical advice on the treatment of any potential coronavirus symptoms
- ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
- ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government (.gov.uk) or NHS (.nhs.uk)
For more information on Test and Trace, visit the UK Government website.Â
