The LGA has called for an extension in outbreak management funding following the Government’s announcement of its ‘Living with covid’ strategy.
The strategy signalled the end to all restrictions in England, with the legal requirement to self-isolate after testing positive being scrapped and the phasing out of free lateral flow tests.
The Government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF), which has provided £400 million in funding to local authorities in England during the pandemic, is set to end this month and no guarantees have been made about its future.
The LGA and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) are warning that, without an extension of the fund, they may be unprepared to tackle new variants and manage COVID-19 in local schools and care homes because of the loss of staff with relevant expertise.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, warned that councils will have to stand down important public health services if they do not receive any further local outbreak management funding.
This will not need to be at the scale seen during the pandemic but investment will be vital to retain local capacity to respond to the differential impacts of variants and outbreaks across the country.
Professor Jim McManus, ADPH President, said: “The uncertainty around COMF means capacity is being reduced in local government, leading to a loss of experienced staff and leaving weaker capability at a local level to the detriment of local communities and the health protection system.”