Following the Health Secretary’s press conference this afternoon, Liberal Democrat Health, Care and Wellbeing spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “Although Matt Hancock’s promise that the Government now has the virus “back under control” may bring comfort to some, it will predominantly remind the public of just how out of control cases of coronavirus became on his watch. The failure by Ministers to prevent a second wave, which has taken a huge toll on both lives and livelihoods right across the UK, is utterly shameful.
“Community testing was supposed to be the passport out of tier 3, yet today we have heard some areas may not get access to this testing until the end of January. We need much more clarity about which areas will receive mass testing when, and this must be done in partnership with local authorities and be accompanied by significant further funding to ensure its success. It is also vital we see much more honesty from the Secretary of State as to how long areas will be stuck in tier 3 if they cannot access community testing.
“Ultimately, there is much more to be done if the Health Secretary is to ensure we don’t see yet another wave of the virus in early 2021. The Liberal Democrats want to see not only more clarity on both the tier system and the Government’s plan to roll out the vaccine, but there must be financial support for all those needing to isolate, as well as the sectors being hit hardest.”