Leeds chief exec to lead on COVID-19 tracing work

The chief executive of Leeds City Council has been asked by government to play a key role in its coronavirus contact tracing programme.

Tom Riordan will on ensuring that the arrangements for linking contact tracing work effectively at local level and that the partnerships and capacity are in place to support this, not just in Leeds but across the whole country.

He will take on this national role for three months alongside his responsibilities as chief executive of Leeds City Council.

The local authority said this is because both the council and the government acknowledge his position as chief executive is also crucial to the handling of the pandemic in Leeds.

‘Long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic would be unsustainable without thorough testing and tracing arrangements and it is imperative that these are put in place effectively at local level right at the start,’ said council leader, Cllr Judith Blake.

‘Having carefully considered the implications of supporting Tom to take on this major responsibility, it was clear that he was the right person to represent the sector, the city and the country in such a vital role.

‘We are helping him to free up some of his time to do this with support from directors and senior politicians who will continue to work alongside him to maintain all our efforts to sustain the city and its people throughout this time,’ she added.

Photo Credit – Leeds City Council