North Wales MS and Shadow Local Government Minister Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that Local Authorities across Wales receive the additional support and resources they will need to track and trace Covid-19 cases.
During Wednesday’s virtual Welsh Parliament Plenary meeting, Mr Isherwood quoted the statement by the Leader of the Welsh Local Government Association that tracking and tracing coronavirus cases is a “mammoth” task which will require “significant additional resources”, and asked the Minister for Housing and Local Government to respond to warnings by Local Authority Leaders in Wales that some Councils will be crippled unless the Welsh Government totally commits to fully financing its ‘Test, Trace, Protect’ strategy to prevent infection and track the virus as restrictions are eased.
Taking part in the proceedings via ‘Zoom’ from his home in North Wales, Mr Isherwood said:
“Reinforcing the statement by the Leader of the Welsh Local Government Association that Tracking and Tracing coronavirus cases in Wales is a "mammoth" task and councils would need "significant additional resources" for the "vital" work, Welsh Conservative Local Authority Leaders told me yesterday that they seek clarity from the Welsh Government on its “Test, Trace, Protect" programme and a commitment to fully resource this.
“In stating that it wants this programme operational by the end of May, the Welsh Government has acknowledged this would require "significant resources" and said that some 1,000 staff would initially be needed, including people working for local authorities.
“Alongside specially-trained council public protection officers, and partners in health, other non-clinical staff will need to be either recruited or redeployed.
“How do you therefore respond to the statement made to me by Local Authority Leaders that if the Welsh Government does not totally commit to fully financing its ‘Test, Trace, Protect’ strategy, some Local Authorities will be crippled?”
Responding, the Minister said: “Andrew Morgan, the Leader of the WLGA, is absolutely right - it is a mammoth task - but I'm very pleased to say that our local authorities have all stepped up to that plate and are working very hard with us and with the piloting authorities to make sure that we all work together in partnership to deliver this very important plan for Wales.”