Postcode-Level Covid Data Will Be Published – Despite Fears It Could Stigmatise People

The government is to publish postcode-level data of how many people have tested positive for coronavirus in England.
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Postcode-level data on how many people have tested positive for coronavirus is set to be published by the government.

Detailed figures from across England will be accessible to the public through an interactive map, although homes of people who have coronavirus will not be identifiable.

The data will initially be published weekly, with the government aiming to update the figures on a daily basis at a later date.

Public health professionals across each region will also be provided with positive test data and contract tracing figures every day.

Local authorities have raised concerns that the government’s plan to make public postcode-level testing data, a plan originally revealed by HuffPost UK, could lead to people in certain neighbourhoods or areas becoming stigmatised.

They are also worried it could damage community cohesion, and say giving out too much data in detail could lead to individuals or families being identified.