Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on Care Home Testing Pledge

The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 3 August 2020.

With infections rising, it’s frankly negligent ministers have failed to deliver on their promise to regularly test care home residents and staff. And to brief newspapers that over-50s may need to shield on the day shielding has been paused causes yet more unnecessary confusion and anxiety.

Ministers have been too slow to act and explain their strategy throughout this pandemic. Test and Trace is costing £10 billion but is nowhere near the ‘world beating’ system we were promised.

It’s critical measures are now put in place to control the virus including rapidly improving testing and locally-led contact tracing teams. The Government failed to protect care home residents and staff early on in this pandemic. They mustn’t make the same mistake again.