THE success rate of test and trace across Essex has fallen for the sixth week running as the county saw a record number of new cases.

Data from the Department for Health and Social care shows 11,062 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Essex were transferred to the service between May 28 and November 11.

It means 2,026 new cases were transferred in the latest seven-day period – the largest increase since the regime began.

Contact tracers ask new patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.

This led to 22,862 close contacts being identified over the period.

But just 63.1 per cent were reached – a figure that has fallen steadily over a six week period.

Across England, 58.9 per cent of contacts not managed by local health protection teams were reached and told to self-isolate in the latest week to November 11.

Local health protection teams deal with cases linked to settings such as hospitals, schools and prisons.

The contact tracing rate including these cases was 60.5 per cent – in line with the week before.

Downing Street defended the “colossal” achievements of Test and Trace but acknowledged improvements could be made.

A No 10 spokesman said: “We are testing more people per head of population than any other European country and that will grow thanks to our increased testing capacity.”

“We accept there are still improvements to be made, and we will continue to work on it.”

It comes as sixth formers are now having to self-isolate at home after two people within their bubble were confirmed to have coronavirus.

Parents of pupils at Clacton County High School were informed a student and a member of staff had returned a positive Covid-19 test. The cases were recorded at the sixth form campus based at the Tendring Education Centre.