The Government is providing £300 million to local authorities in England to develop plans to keep the spread of Coronavirus under control at a neighbourhood level. High Peak MP Robert Largan has welcomed this funding boost for our area.

Derbyshire will receive £3,859,136 as part of the launch of the wider NHS Test and Trace Service. Every local authority in England has been provided with a share of £300 million to develop tailored outbreak control plans, which will set out measures to identify and contain potential Coronavirus outbreaks locally, in places such as workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools.

To develop and implement its plan, Derbyshire County Council will work closely with the local NHS and local public health directors, as well as the new NHS Test and Trace Service, to ensure it has sufficient resources to tackle to virus locally. This could, for example, include recruitment of additional staff to support local services. 

Local efforts will be crucial to support the national rollout of NHS Test and Trace, which has already tracked tens of thousands of contacts of people who have tested positive for Coronavirus. NHS Test and Trace will be a crucial means of returning society to some sense of normality in the months ahead. 

Robert Largan MP commented: 

“I pay tribute to everyone in the High Peak who is working tirelessly to help control the spread of Coronavirus. This additional funding will be key to supporting our local efforts, and I will work with councillors to ensure that it is put to good use.

“Tackling Coronavirus requires us all to play our part, engaging with the new NHS Test and Trace Service where we need to, and continuing to follow social distancing rules to control the virus and save lives.”