‘Change Government policy from the North’ – council boss on test & trace
THE YORKSHIRE council boss appointed to oversee the rollout of the Government’s test and trace programme says it is possible to “fully participate at the heart of Whitehall” from the North, as he stepped down from the role.
Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan was the national tracing lead for the programme which is the key to stopping coronavirus spreading widely in the community while scientists rush to find a vaccine.
It means that if someone tests positive for coronavirus all those with whom they have had contact will be notified by the NHS.
Mr Riordan said the scheme would need “the strongest national and local partnership to succeed”.
Speaking as he handed over the role to the chief executive of Oldham Council, Carolyn Wilkins, he said: “Local communities, stakeholders and councils know how to tackle problems quickly, led by local public health professionals. The contain framework empowers local councils to act swiftly with support from Government when needed.”
Mr Riordan said test and trace had reached around 200,000 people, adding: “Without a vaccine and treatment, this is the best chance of returning close to normal life; 80 per cent contacts reached isn’t bad and can be improved by use of local teams.”
And posting on Twitter, Mr Riordan added: “I did the job entirely from Yorkshire. You can fully participate at the heart of Whitehall with ministers and senior officials, work daily with entire national sectors and change Government policy from the North. It’s the future.”
In most recent figures, it was revealed that a total of 38,877 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England have had their cases transferred to the system since its launch.
Of this total, 29,962 people (77.1 per cent) were reached and asked to provide details of recent contacts, while 7,614 (19.6 per cent) were not reached. A further 1,301 people (3.3 per cent) could not be reached because their communication details had not been provided. The figures cover the period from May 28 to July 15.