Council leader refutes criticism of coronavirus outbreak response

THE leader of Kirklees Council has denied it kept people in the dark over the outbreak of coronavirus at a Cleckheaton meat processing plant.

Clr Shabir Pandor responded to criticism of how the council handled the transmission of information since Health Secretary Matt Hancock dropped his bombshell of a localised outbreak in Kirklees at Thursday’s briefing for national media.

One doctor, Jools Thomas, a GP partner and chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners in Yorkshire, said she was “slackjawed” when she heard Mr Hancock

casually mention the outbreak on TV.

Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin, in whose constituency the outbreak took place, was said to be “incandescent with rage” at not being kept in the loop while Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman was also annoyed that precise details of the scale of the outbreak had not been released to him by Kirklees Council.

The exclusively revealed that up to 150 employees at Kober had tested positive for the virus.

Mr Sheerman said: “Don’t keep secrets and pull the wool over our eyes. Local authorities have a duty to keep MPs informed.

“MPs should be fully informed so they can relate that to their constituents. “In conversations with the leader of Kirklees Council, (Shabir Pandor) and its chief executive, (Jacqui Gedman), there was no detail at all.”

Coun Pandor retorted: “We have provided all elected members, including our MPs, with the same information on the outbreak.

“However, disclosing the location of the outbreak could have been a negative in our fight against the virus.

“There are issues around patient confidentiality to consider and we cannot allow the risk of information to be shared – this would be completely wrong.

“We also want to ensure that businesses feel able to come for