08:38

The British government has hinted it may reverse a controversial decision to withhold information about the geographical spread of the coronavirus.



Heath minister Edward Argar acknowledged public concerns about the news that the government would not be releasing information about the location of new cases until a weekly round-up each Friday.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast he admitted the government was “learning every day” and was looking at a “tech solution” to allow it to keep the public informed about the spread of disease.

On Wednesday, Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer said the government would stop providing daily updates on the location of patients who had tested positive “due to the number cases”.

The decision prompted accusations of secrecy and concerns that it would led to the spread of fake news.

Argar said: “It’s absolutely right, that we give out as much information as we can.”

He added: “What we’re looking at is whether we can find a tech solution that will enable us to do that to keep people informed [which] is hugely important. But to do it in an efficient way that it’s easy to administer and easy to get the information out.”

His remarks suggest the government is considering the example of South Korea where phone alerts are available to signify when users come within 100 metres of a confirmed case, based on government data.

Argar said: “My boss, the health secretary, is clear that we will report on geographical spread and geographical locations, but there’s a little bit of a lag time because of that big increase.”

He added: “We’re going to continue with that geographical information because I think in anything of this sort, and it’s a new disease, we’re learning every day, how it works. Understandably, people will have concerns and questions. It’s important that we share as much information as we can with the public to reassure and to keep people informed. So I think there is a positive from this in terms of public engagement.”