READING East MP Matt Rodda talks all about a ‘sensible approach’ to easing lockdown. He writes:

I want to start by paying tribute to our NHS and care staff, key workers and volunteers, together with the community as a whole, for their response to the coronavirus crisis.

Reading and Woodley are continuing to try to recover as the lockdown is eased, but getting back to normal is far from easy.

The government has, I believe, moved too quickly to try to return to normal before tracking and tracing is in place.

I want to see a safe and successful easing of the lockdown, which allows people to get back to work if they can not work from home, allows children to go back to school and gives people more chance to see friends and relatives, while maintaining social-distancing.

To do this I think we need to take three simple, but important steps.

First, give councils the necessary powers to respond to local infection spikes.

Experts suspect there could be local flare ups, dotted around Britain, as this has happened in other countries when the lockdown was eased.

Councils are better placed to respond, but many of them would like more reassurance about the powers to deal with a local outbreak.

More clarity and if necessary, more powers, would help with quick and effective responses.

Secondly, we need to speed up testing and offer people a double promise, that no one waits more than 24 hours to receive a test, and in addition that it takes no more than 24 hours to receive the results.

Local people have raised serious concerns with me about delays with testing in Reading and Woodley, with one mum having to wait over a week to receive a result, which is clearly far too long.

Thirdly, the government needs to deliver a secure working app, that ensures anyone at risk is contacted.

Reports on the local news suggested there were problems during the pilot of the government’s app on the Isle of White and this needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Our community has shown incredible strength of character during this difficult time, a sensible approach is now needed to make sure we continue to make progress.