BRADFORD Council is calling for an urgent review of a Government decision to halt door-to-door testing.

The council has written to the Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock following the decision to stop providing home testing (PCR) kits to Bradford District.

Council Leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “The Government’s decision has come at a period when Bradford District has climbed to 36th nationally in terms of areas with highest infection rates. It’s absolutely the wrong time for the Government to reduce our capacity to test our residents using the methods we know can work.

“The Council has been offering almost 6,000 door-to-door tests a month. We believe that this offer is fundamental to our testing strategy and enables a targeted approach that cannot be paralleled by alternatives such as the rapid test centres.

“Home testing in areas of high infection is an important way in which we can monitor the spread of the virus, isolate new infections and use track and trace to identify the people those who have been infected have had close contact with."

All home testing visits have now been paused until further notice.