Responding to the announcement of £300 million additional funding for local authorities to support the new test and trace service and of the 11 councils who will tailor test and trace services for their local communities, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“It is good that government has acknowledged the crucial role of councils in the test, track and trace programme, through this new and much-needed funding.
“Environmental health, emergency planners, trading standards, public health including sexual health services and infection control nurses are just some of the council services which can use their considerable expertise and unparalleled experience, to help in stopping the spread of coronavirus.
“COVID-19 is best understood as a pattern of local outbreaks, rather than a national pandemic with a similar impact in every community. As we move into the next phase, it is important that councils have the capacity and necessary data to play their full part in this national programme, so they can understand where the outbreaks are happening and be able to act quickly to contain them.”
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
