A BRADFORD MP has said efforts to contain a coronavirus outbreak in Bradford are being 'massively hindered' by the Government's excessive secrecy.

Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East said local public health officials were being 'denied the tools they need' to fight the virus.

As it emerged that the district has the second highest rate of infection per 100,000 people after Leicester fears grew that a local lockdown is just days away.

But Mr Hussain said: “I am deeply concerned by Bradford’s high number of positive tests and it just shows how important it is to continue to abide by the advice issued by public health experts, which is why I have been clear and vocal that as lockdown restrictions are eased by the Government, safety must remain a priority and cannot be compromised.

“Throughout the Coronavirus crisis I have been in frequent contact with Bradford Council and local public health officials, and it is clear that their response is being massively hindered, as it was in Leicester, by the Government and Public Health England who seem determined to deny local authorities the tools that they need.

“Since the crisis began, the test data that Bradford Council has received from the Government has been woefully inconsistent with information sometimes not received for days, costing public health officials vital time to respond.

"Indeed, it was only on Monday that the Health Secretary granted them access to a database of all positive tests, despite concerns having been raised weeks prior.

“Whilst I understand that Bradford Council now has access to this crucial data, restrictions imposed by the Government actually prevent them from sharing the number of positive tests with local voluntary organisations assisting in the response, or even with the NHS in Bradford, creating an absurd position where they are unable to act on the information that they do receive.

“In a city as diverse as Bradford with our high levels of deprivation, both of which have been proven to be risk factors in the spread and mortality of Coronavirus, we also have to ask why the Government have not taken a keener interest and responsibility, and why they failed to respond to Bradford Council’s concerns when they were raised, particularly when they knew of the prevalence of these risk factors.

“The Government’s failure to provide local authorities with the data to do their job in keeping people safe has put public health at risk, and I have written to the Health Secretary, urging him to immediately make available comprehensive and reliable information to Bradford Council, to allow them to share this information with necessary organisations, and to answer why it was not made available until now.