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"Whilst we are all keen to get back to normal as soon as possible, we all still need to remain vigilant and use common sense wherever necessary."

Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement this evening on the variant of concern originating in India, Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the LGA, said: “As the Prime Minister said at his press conference this evening, the new variant is a worrying development and we all need to play our part in ensuring we limit any further transmission."

“Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS, including on future PPE supply and infection control measures. Frontline health and care workers should receive all the appropriate protective equipment they need.”

“We are delighted that the Secretary of State has accepted the LGA’s powerful case for councils to keep their vital role and valued responsibilities for providing public health services, rather than transferring them back to the NHS."

“Youth offending teams within councils have an outstanding record of reducing youth crime and making a real difference to young people’s lives, but they are under huge pressure after seeing their government funding halved over the last decade."

“The progress made in supporting people with HIV, enabling them to live independent, fulfilling lives, and the fact that it is no longer the death sentence it once was, is a major public health success story."

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to Public Health England’s Health Profile for England report.

Responding to the announcement of councils’ public health grant for 2020/21, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Council public health teams are working day and night to support national efforts to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. They are doing a fantastic job in extremely challenging and ever-changing circumstances. “Today’s long-awaited publication by government of public health funding from April will help councils plan how to best help communities cope with this virus outbreak and keep providing other vital public

“Tackling our health inequalities, which have been so starkly exposed during the pandemic, will require significant long-term investment in the public health services which can improve people’s health and wellbeing and reduce future pressure on the NHS. "

“It is vital that councils are given a key role in coordinating the health and care system, now and in the future. Social care needs to be given parity of esteem with the NHS and any plans to improve pay and rewards to help drive recruitment should focus equally on both."