THE coronavirus pandemic is expected to cost Argyll and Bute Council an additional £11million.

The stark figure is revealed in a report which states that 80 per cent of the local authority’s savings targets for the current financial year have already been met.

The report also predicts an overall overspend of £2m by the end of March – as a result of social work funding provided to the area’s health and social care partnership (HSCP).

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The document shows Covid-19 has resulted in additional costs of £11.209m – although more than half of that is covered by Scottish Government funding.

But the council is left with a shortfall of nearly £4.5m from the pandemic, and a decision now needs to be taken on whether to use internal funding to help out.

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