Newham will get special help in the fight against coronavirus says the government which names the Borough as one of nine trailblazing actions it has launched across England.

The government is setting aside £12 million to help councils in the highest risk areas.

The money will support a range of initiatives including providing alternative accommodation for people in overcrowded households, and increasing existing social care support for vulnerable communities.

The actions will provide extra services for people whose mental health has been affected by lockdown and will also support language communication in areas where many people don’t have English as their first language.

Crucially, the support aims to encourage people most at risk of catching and transmitting COVID19 to come forward for testing and to self-isolate successfully if they test positive.

The government support comes amid increasing concerns about new coronavirus variants, particularly the spread of a variant first identified in India.

The aim is to help local councils to strengthen their coronavirus testing and support for people affected and to promote early interventions that will control the spread of variants wherever they are detected.

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