News

Councils across the country continue to lead the local fight against the pandemic. However, the Government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund is set to end in March 2022, which poses a threat to councils' ability to ramp-up efforts in response to the Omicron variant.

Making more digital health checks available is a useful tool to detect certain illnesses but it should be treated as an addition to not a replacement of a physical health check

“COVID-19 has cruelly exposed and exacerbated the many social and health problems which existed before the pandemic, that need to be urgently addressed as part of our national recovery."

"Councils want to make sure that everybody who needs fuel can access it safely and swiftly. We encourage people to be considerate of our essential workers such as health and care staff, so they can get the fuel they need to do their vital daily roles caring for our older and most vulnerable members of our communities."

“This second lockdown will be tough for many, but councils are stepping up again to support residents, especially those who are more vulnerable, businesses and education settings.

“Local knowledge and expertise has proved vital in combating COVID-19 and councils want to work with the Government to develop testing strategies which contain and reduce the virus in every area of the country, and for every section of our diverse communities."

“Councils are playing a vital role in the vaccination programme that has now seen over 13 million people receive their first COVID-19 vaccine."

"It is vital that even more of this vital protective equipment is available to those who need it, including our valuable social care staff and others providing essential local services."

We’d like to see Family Hubs extended to all councils so these transformative benefits can be felt across the country

Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, responds to the publication of government guidance on exemptions from self-isolation for critical workers.