Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
Majority of councils now enrolled into community testing
As many as nine in 10 local authorities in England have signed up to the community testing programme to offer regular targeted testing for people without symptoms.
The government says that 232 local authorities are now rolling out community testing, covering a population of around 42 million people and identifying thousands of positive coronavirus cases in people not showing symptoms, who could be unknowingly spreading the virus.
Designed and implemented by local authorities, community testing programmes are designed based on local authorities’ in-depth knowledge of the local area. Local authorities are currently being encouraged to target testing at people who are unable to work from home during the national lockdown.
To date, over 2.2 million lateral flow tests have been carried out by local authorities for community testing programmes, with over 44,000 positive cases found so far. Lateral flow tests deliver results in 30 minutes, helping to quickly identify and isolate positive cases and break chains of transmission.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “It is brilliant more than seven in 10 local authorities in the country are now offering rapid testing to find positive cases and break chains of transmission and even more are due to start soon. Since the community testing programme was launched in December, local authorities have undertaken incredibly innovative work to rapidly get programmes up and running in local areas, using their local expertise.”
Latest News
26/04/2024 - 12:12
New planning powers come into effect today giving local councils more tools to hold rogue developers to account as part of the government’s Levelling-up and Regeneration Act.
26/04/2024 - 11:13
Sport England has published a report which reveals a long-term increase in activity levels among adults, but also highlights further action is need
25/04/2024 - 12:28
The Welsh government will work with councils to set out a three-phase plan to implement a 20mph limit.
25/04/2024 - 11:56
£11 million of grant funding has been confirmed for public sector bodies in Scotland.
25/04/2024 - 10:32
The Labour Party has announced that it would renationalise most passenger rail services within five years.
Company Focus
Located in Bromley, Japanese Knotweed Eradication Ltd has been providing solutions in the treatment and removal of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) for over a decade. During this time we have mastered a repertoire of methods, from herbicidal treatments to landscaping solutions, tailored to address the unique challenges our clients face with this pervasive weed.
Event Diary
UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.
The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.
Supplier Profiles
At GeoEnergy Design, we're on a mission to disrupt the traditional way heating and cooling ha
Latest Features
Professor Harith Alani, director of the Knowledge Management Institute at the Open University explains how AI can be used for good and bad.
Alex Lawrence, head of health & social care, techUK sets out techUK’s Five Point Plan for CareTech.
