Local authorities in England get funding for test and trace

The government has confirmed a funding stream of £300 million for local authorities in England to help facilitate COVID-19 action plans including the new track and trace service in their areas.

Local authorities have already begun developing local outbreak control plans, which will focus on the timely containment of virus outbreaks in communal areas such as workplaces, care homes and schools. They will also need to ensure testing capacity is concentrated on high-risk locations.

Each council has been allocated a share of the funding based on need, with additional funding provided for communities with lower incomes and higher demand for local healthcare settings, the government noted.

“Councils are playing a hugely important role in our national efforts to respond to the virus, and this includes test and trace services,” said Simon Clarke, minister for regional growth and local government.

“This £300 million of funding is on top of the unprecedented £3.2 billion package of support we have provided to councils to ensure they have what they need to tackle the virus and respond to the immediate pressures they have told us they are facing.”

Data on the spread of the virus will be shared with local authorities through the Joint Biosecurity Centre to inform local outbreak planning, to allow teams to understand how the virus is moving.

Also, a new National Local Government Advisory Board has been established to work with NHS Test and Trace, which will include sharing best practice between communities across the country.