Councils have welcomed the £600m extra funding for infection control within care homes.

While the Government is yet to publish details on how the funding will be allocated, the Local Government Association (LGA) said the extra money would help councils reduce and prevent coronavirus outbreaks.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘This extra funding for infection control in care homes is good news and will help councils' public health teams in their efforts to reduce and prevent coronavirus outbreaks.'

Cllr David Williams, chairman of the CCN, added: ‘Every death from Coronavirus is a personal tragedy, and the number of those passing away from catching the virus in care settings is uncomfortably high.

'Therefore, we welcome today's announcement over infection control, and we await further details on how the £600m funding should be used and distributed between councils.'

The LGA has been calling on the Government to share ‘crucial' data with councils to help them effectively track and trace outbreaks.