James Forsyth James Forsyth

Why didn’t the government learn from Scotland’s test shortage?

Dido Harding, head of the NHS Test and Trace system, arrives at Downing Street (Getty images)

This country is better prepared for any ‘second wave’ of Covid than it was for the first. But as I say in the magazine this week, a second wave will be far more difficult for the government politically than the first one was. There’ll be no rally round the flag effect this time. The public expect the government to be prepared.

The growing anger over testing is an example of this change. This country has the ability to test far more people than it did back in March. But there is mounting irritation about how many people in coronavirus hotspots are being told either that there are no tests available or are being sent long distances for their swab.

Public dissatisfaction will only grow as children can’t attend school and people can’t go to work because they can’t get a test.

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