Ending free covid testing is “reckless” says council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty.
The government ended universal free testing in England on Thursday, 31 March, which will see testing centres removed from city parks and no more free lateral flow test kits.
Brighton and Hove City Council has confirmed it has no plans to fund lateral flow tests as it does not have the funding.
Green council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty is concerned the government is taking this route despite increasing infection rates nationally and locally.
Data for Brighton and Hove published on 23 March showed 2,795 new infections, up 20.5 per cent from the previous seven days.
Councillor Mac Cafferty described the government’s move as a “disgrace”, citing the increasing number of positive cases and hospitalisations at the council’s Policy and Resources Committee on Thursday, 25 March.
He said: “This is exactly where we don’t want to be, and the government’s reckless plan to lift all public health measures, including scrapping free testing. I personally think it is a disgrace.
“Public health advice remains the same. If you feel unwell, take action to stop covid spreading.
“Meet outside or in well-ventilated spaces, and wearing a face mask indoors reduces risk. Take up your offer of a vaccine including the booster.”
He paid tribute to the 570 people from the city who have died with covid-19 since the start of the pandemic and those who have made “enormous sacrifices” over the last two years.
A city council spokesperson advised people to continue wearing masks indoors, preferably in well-ventilated spaces and suggested meeting outdoors where possible.
A council spokesperson said: “Covid tests will continue to be available for free nationally to help protect specific groups including people at risk of serious illness, eligible patients, NHS and care staff, and those in other high-risk settings.
“We feel that free testing should continue to be made available for everyone, as testing is an important part of our defence against covid, along with mask-wearing and ventilation.
“But we have no capacity to do this without government funding.”
Free universal testing, tracing and isolation funding has cost the government and taxpayers more than £15.7bn between 2021 and 2022.
Pharmacy chains are launching paid-for lateral flow tests in the next month at £2 each.
Scare-mongering… has he any sense of proportionality?
Phelim is scared – of having to go back to the office and do a decent day’s work
You sound as if you belong on the Argus comments.
As the article says, covid is far from over, and further mutations are likely to spread with thending of such measures. The lack of testing will also make it more difficult to track the spread.
Meanwhile in real life, everyone has gone back to working from the office as the covid effects are minimal to vaccinated people and there is a major war in Europe.
When are the council planning on going back to work like the rest of the country?
When will Hove Town Hall re-open to the public? Surely it is time someone told the staff there that the extended holiday, paid for by the taxpayer, should have ended long ago. All very well to work from home, in between watching Netflix, but for many people dealing with them online is far from ideal.
The real question is *why* would Hove Town Hall re-open, given the economic benefits of working from home. Why should the taxpayers shell out for that huge lump of concrete when we could just… not? Slap half the rent/upkeep/whatever budget into additional IT staff for web services, and take the rest as a cost saving.
Savage! And you sound like a failed Green politician