UK's test and trace system not had wanted impact, PM Johnson says

Britain's PM Johnson holds the first news conference of the second coronavirus lockdown

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's COVID-19 test and trace programme has not had the impact the government wanted but it is improving, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

"I understand people's frustrations with NHS test and trace and it has come in for a lot of criticism and clearly it has taken too long for people to get their results sometimes, but they are improving," he told a media conference.

"Yes, it hasn't had as much impact as we would have wanted, but there's no doubt that by identifying people who have the disease, identifying the localities where people have the disease, we've been able to get the R (rate) down in a way that I don't think we would otherwise have done."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)