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

“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."

“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.

“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."

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

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.

“This tragic milestone is a heartbreaking reminder of how many people have lost their lives to this dreadful disease and the terrible toll it has placed on family and friends.”

The LGA said the Government and NHS must utilise the knowledge and experience of directors of public health when it comes to distributing a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to today’s 70th anniversary of the NHS.

Vital public health services such as drug and alcohol treatment, early years and school aged support, weight management and sexual health services need urgent investment in the Spending Review if the country is to fully recover from the effects of the pandemic, councils say today.