Criticism over Covid 'pen pushers' as marshals are kept on until the end of the year

Opposition Conservative councillors have questioned why the Labour-run authority has extended the contract for the ‘Covid support advisors’ until the new year despite restrictions ending in July.

The scheme has cost a total of £415,000 to date, with £27,000 of that being spent in the past two months.

Originally 20 were hired to enforce mask wearing and ensure social distancing in business premises but that has now been reduced to a team of 11.

Conservative councillor Ellis Turrell said with legal restrictions being lifted on July 19, he struggled to see why they were still needed in the city, adding businesses should be left to bounce back without interference from “pen pushers”

But the authority said the team is still carrying out vital tasks such as going door-to-door to encourage vaccine take up, distributing face coverings and handing out information and advice.

Councillor Turrell said: “Covid marshals played an important role during the pandemic, enforcing restrictions and providing face masks to the public as well as helping businesses to adapt.

“But I struggle to see why the Labour-run council has continued to employ them over the summer, when all legal restrictions ended months ago.

“Businesses should be left alone to recover after the horrendous year-and-a-half of lockdowns, not continually pestered by council pen-pushers.

“The Government has been incredibly generous in the support it has provided to councils, but the funding is not infinite and ultimately it is the taxpayer who ends up footing the bill.

“In Wolverhampton, the cost of employing these marshals is fast approaching half a million pounds so it’s right that questions are asked about the necessity of this expenditure.

“Should the Covid situation worsen over the winter and some restrictions need to be reintroduced, then of course the council should be able to re-employ an appropriate number of marshals.

“But this should be balanced against the cost and effectiveness of employing them when residents and businesses are under no restrictions.”

Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “The pandemic is not over, far from it.

“Infection rates remain high and it is important that people remain cautious and take precautions to protect themselves and others from illness and spreading the virus.

“Our Covid support officers have a varied role, they were recruited to help people stay safe, provide information, assist businesses to follow infection control measures in a supportive way and provide reassurance in what has been a worrying and often confusing time for a great many people.

“We have fewer of them than we did at the height of the pandemic, but they are still providing a vital service in ensuring businesses continue to follow infection control measures, they have distributed face coverings to the public, provided advice and information about Covid testing and vaccination centres and have promoted our Covid compliance grant to businesses to encourage take-up.

“They have also assisted with manning Covid test centres.

“Far from being pen-pushers, which is insulting to the hard-working men and women who have been on the frontline of this pandemic, they are out and about every day keeping our city safe and playing a key role in the pandemic response.

“Should we see another wave of infections over the winter, of either Covid or flu, it is prudent to have a trained team in place who can provide guidance and reassurance, rather than training people from scratch which would waste valuable time.”