Local authorities across England have been allocated a share of £300m to support new test and trace services.

Each upper tier local authority has been awarded funding to develop outbreak control plans, with extra funding provided for communities with lower incomes or higher healthcare demands.

Minister for regional growth and local government, Simon Clarke, said: 'Councils are playing a hugely important role in our national efforts to respond to the virus, and this includes test and trace services.

'This £300m of funding is on top of the unprecedented £3.2bn package of support we have provided to councils to ensure they have what they need to tackle the virus and respond to the immediate pressures they have told us they are facing.'

Councils will also get access to data on the spread of the virus through the Joint Biosecurity Centre to inform local outbreak planning.

Local areas still remain in the dark about whether they will be handed any additional powers to impose coronavirus lockdowns (£).