The head of Test and Trace says the rise in demand was unexpected – 11 favourite reactions
The head of the UK’s Test and Trace programme, Dido Harding, was called before a parliamentary select committee to explain the problems it has been experiencing.
The last time I watched Dido Harding at a Commons Select Committee, it was to explain why all her Talk Talk customers' data had been stolen by two 15 year old boys.
Still, she's a Tory peer now, and will shortly explain how well everything's going with her Test and Trace app.
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) September 17, 2020
This was her explanation of how she came to be in the post.
Dido Harding confirming the tough interview process she had to endure to become the head of NHS Test & trace which was "some ministers asked me if I wanted to do it and I said yes" 🙄
— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) September 17, 2020
Her evidence didn’t always make complete sense.
Did Dido Harding just say this sentence?
“No system will ever run near to capacity….in fact, some of our labs are running over 100% capacity”.?!?
— Dr Dominic Pimenta (@juniordrblog) September 17, 2020
And she responded to the outcry against the huge shortfall in available tests with this incredible statement.
Coronavirus: Head of Test and Trace says rise in demand for COVID tests wasn't expected https://t.co/5yTZffJqj3
— SkyNews (@SkyNews) September 17, 2020
It’s funny that so many people were saying there’d be a shortage of tests when nobody expected it. That’s one of your bona fide mysteries, that is.
As James O’Brien put it –
Go back to the workplace, go back to school. All the testing will make it as safe as can be…
…Nobody knew that demand for testing would rise this much.
It’s almost trite to point it out but Dido Harding is one of those ‘unelected bureaucrats’ we used to hear so much about.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) September 17, 2020
He wasn’t the only person not buying it.
1.
This shit gvt: time to go back to school & uni & offices!!
Us: but… Rona?
Gvt: haha it's fine! Get off yer bums! Can kids even GET Rona?? Maybe not!!
✨3 weeks later ✨ https://t.co/nUjtA5ghdn— Gee Aitch Cee (@Scriblit) September 17, 2020
2.
Dido Harding, Head of Test and Trace: "no one was expecting the rise in demand for tests"
I too am shocked that telling everyone to get back to work, school and university would lead to this. https://t.co/Uf8h4yApHq— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) September 17, 2020
3.
You had one job… https://t.co/Ei03rBySAZ
— Sophia Sleigh (@SophiaSleigh) September 17, 2020
4.
Head of Forestry Commission says rise in amount of bear shit after hibernation wasn't expected. https://t.co/yrYyrnCFep
— Pundamentalism (@Pundamentalism) September 17, 2020
5.
She also said much of the demand was driven by schools returning in September. And really, who could have predicted that? https://t.co/i5Jyy7SbES
— Ben Kentish (@BenKentish) September 17, 2020
