LONDON: The British government on Tuesday announced a shake-up of public health policy with a new institute to focus on infectious diseases in the wake of the devastating coronavirus outbreak.

More than 41,000 people confirmed with Covid-19 have died in Britain, the worst toll in Europe, and the country is still struggling to implement an effective test and tracing system.

The government is scrapping Public Health England (PHE), the government agency with responsibility for health emergencies in England as well as issues such as smoking and obesity.

In its place, a new National Institute for Health Protection will focus on infectious diseases and "external threats", including from biological weapons.

It will deal with emergencies, local outbreaks, testing and contact tracing, as well as coordinating analysis, surveillance and research.