Local authorities in the South West have been allocated over £22million to support the new Test and Trace service.
The Government says the funding will help communities to progress plans to reduce the spread of coronavirus in their area, building on the continued efforts to respond to the pandemic locally.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ’The funding will help local communities develop and action plans to reduce the spread of coronavirus in their area
’Local authorities are central to the new NHS Test and Trace service, and each upper tier local authority has now been awarded funding to develop tailored outbreak control plans, working with the service, their local NHS and other stakeholders.
’Work on local outbreak control plans has already begun, focusing on identifying and containing potential outbreaks in communal areas such as workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools. Local authorities will also need to ensure testing capacity is deployed effectively to high-risk locations.’
Funding has been allocated to councils based on need, with additional funding provided for communities with lower incomes and higher demand for local healthcare settings.
Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health, Nadine Dorries, said: ’Local authorities play a vital role in the effort to contain COVID-19 in their communities. The funding awarded will help each local area work hand in hand with Public Health England and contact tracers to focus on the containment of local outbreaks, to control the transmission of this virus.
’The public response to the rollout of NHS Test and Trace has been fantastic, and we continue to rely on everyone to play their part and follow the latest guidelines. If you have symptoms of the virus, please book a test immediately and if you are contacted by the tracing service, it is vital that you follow their advice.’