A 'fully functioning’ national test and trace system will be essential to encouraging people back into their workplaces, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said.
Many businesses in Manchester city centre and across the city-region that depend on office workers for custom are fearing for their future since trade has plummeted during lockdown.
Mr Burnham has said in the past that ensuring social distancing on public transport would be key to rebuilding the local economy.
But he has stressed the importance of improving the NHS test and trace system while also supporting people on low incomes to self-isolate on full pay.
Speaking on Wednesday, he said: “The national test and trace system is not working in Greater Manchester.
“That is our first line of defence against this virus, a fully functioning test and trace is intended to support people to return to a degree of normality that is the whole point.
“You want that safety net to be as tight as possible. The longer we delay these changes the more we’ll affect that building of business confidence that we need to see.”
More than a third of people who have tested positive with Covid-19 have not given any contacts, leaving significant holes in the national picture.
In Greater Manchester around 22,000 people have already been asked to self-isolate, with Mr Burnham and other regional leaders calling on the government to give councils more resources to support the system on a local level.
When asked if it was safe for workers to return to Manchester city centre, Mr Burnham said he would be returning to his office on a temporary basis in the next two weeks.
He hoped that his decision would ‘send a message’ that others could do the same, adding: “It can be done safely if people wear face coverings on the commute, observe social distancing, and if the workplace is properly arranged to support all of those things.
“We’re conscious that there are businesses in the city that need to see the return of people to the office to bring that vibrancy back.
“We do want to bring people back to the city to support businesses, these are still very challenging times for the hospitality sector.
“All of this business confidence comes from confidence that the virus is being successfully managed, and the NHS test and trace system is not that system yet.”
