1. I think the reason they will give is that an infected person has contacted them to say they were within 2 metres of you for 15 minutes. You won't necessarily know who that is because the contract trace system is supposed to guarantee anonymity.
2. I could be wrong but my understanding is that it is only the initial person with symptoms who will get a test. The people who are contacted, who may be asymptomatic are not guaranteed to get one.
3. If you haven't been given a test and don't have any symptoms but are nonetheless being asked to self-isolate, what will you do?
But you could have it and infect somebody else, potentially causing their death.
Wouldn't you be worse than Cummings then? He at least DID self isolate. Personally, I think he was pushing it driving 260 miles to Durham to do so. But I wonder how many of his most vocal critics are not whiter than white themselves.
In my more cynical moments I would suggest that it is open season for anyone who has been infected to anonymously claim that they have been in the company of so-and-so whom they have a grudge against, so that their victim would then be under house arrest for 14 days.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
That's perfectly true Stagger, but these will be the rules, which we are told will become enforceable if people don't comply voluntarily.
So how come you're so black and white with Cummings, when he thought his actions were the only option open to him? It seems like you will be quite happy to break the rules if they don't suit you.