False Covid test results not cause of surge in south-west England, says No 10

Government suggests current sharp rise is linked to previous lower rates in region rather than Wolverhampton lab errors

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Downing Street has dismissed claims that 43,000 false Covid test results from a Wolverhampton laboratory are to blame for the sharp rise in the number of cases in the south-west of England, claiming that the region may be catching up with the rest of the country.

Experts have linked the high case rates in the west country to the problems at the Wolverhampton laboratory of a company called Immensa, which NHS test and trace suspended from processing PCR Covid tests earlier this month.