Snubbing local expertise in favour of private Covid-19 tracing is a disaster | Donna Hall
Councils have been crucial in tackling coronavirus. It's dangerous of the government to dismiss their expertise now
During a global pandemic, the effects we really feel are local. Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on communities, particularly poor communities. People have lost grandparents, parents and children, uncles, aunts, sisters and brothers. The daily government press conference reveals statistics but every single one is a person, a much-loved human being, not a faceless number or a component of a herd.
Key workers in local government know this better than most. Councils have been absolutely critical to tackling the spread of coronavirus. Every day they maintain crucial services. They have set up community hubs and have built on existing local teams. They provide food and shelter to people at risk, help local businesses stay afloat and have mobilised volunteers on a scale we have never seen before.
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