England risks losing control of the coronavirus pandemic again because it is starting to lift its lockdown without a fully operational track and trace programme in place, three senior scientific advisers warned, according to Reuters.

John Edmunds, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said the government was taking a risk.

“Track and trace was only launched the day before yesterday, so we can’t be sure that that is working effectively yet and yet we’re going ahead and making these changes anyway,” he told Sky News. “I think that that is rather dangerous.”