THE coronavirus test-and-trace scheme has had its worst week on record, according to official statistics published today, as Britain suffered its largest-ever daily number of new cases.

Just 68.6 per cent of people who came into contact with somebody who later tested positive for Covid-19 were reached by the scheme — which is run for the NHS by private companies — and asked to self-isolate in the week up to September 30.

It is the lowest percentage since the system was introduced in May.

Labour’s shadow health minister, Justin Madders, accused the government of having wasted time by failing to improve the system when the rate of known infections was lower during the national lockdown in the summer.

“It is now clear that the government has lost control of contact tracing, with the system failing just when we need it most,” he said.

“The government must act urgently to ensure that the country doesn’t pay a terrible price over the winter because of this failure.”

Some 17,540 new coronavirus cases were announced today as having been recorded in the previous 24 hours — about 3,300 more than on Wednesday and the highest tally of new known cases since the outbreak started in Britain.

A total of 77 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test was also recorded — a rise from the 70 deaths reported on Wednesday and the highest daily total since 99 deaths were recorded on July 1.

The number of coronavirus patients in England’s hospitals also rose to 3,044 — the highest since June 22. It had been 2,944 on Wednesday and 1,995 on October 1.

Public Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said that the rising number of hospital admissions was “very concerning.”

There have now been 58,000 Covid-19-related deaths registered in the UK, according to separate figures published by statistics agencies.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the country had reached a “perilous moment” in the pandemic.

Speaking at the NHS Providers annual conference today, he  said that he was “very worried” about the rising numbers of cases, “especially in the north-west and the north-east of England, parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and parts of Yorkshire.”

Downing Street suggested that new restrictions could be placed on pubs and restaurants and “coronavirus hotspots” around the country, after new data suggested that “significant” transmission is taking place in hospitality settings.

Next week, England is expected to be put into three lockdown tiers with tougher restrictions for millions of people.

Households in areas put under the highest tier could be banned from mixing in all indoor and outdoor settings. 

The proposals would go beyond the current rules in northern English cities with high infection rates, such as Newcastle and Liverpool, where people may meet other households outdoors but not in their gardens or in a pub garden.

Pubs, restaurants and leisure facilities are also expected to be closed in areas put into tier three. Financial compensation for businesses forced to shut up shop is being demanded.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “We are seeing coronavirus cases rise across the entire country but they are rising faster in the north-east and the north-west.

“We are keeping the data under close review and we are considering a range of options to reduce the spread of the virus in order to protect communities and to protect the NHS.”