Leicester ‘frustrated’ with govt response

The government’s lack of communication with Leicester city council about the coronavirus outbreak in the city has been “intensely frustrating”, according to its mayor.

Sir Peter Soulsby’s criticism comes after the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said the government was considering a localised lockdown in Leicester on Sunday.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the Labour mayor said government officials had now instead suggested keeping current lockdown restrictions in place across the city for a further two weeks to control the outbreak.

The latest figures from Public Health England show that 866 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Leicester in the two weeks up to June 23.

In total, 2,987 people have tested positive with Covid-19 in the city since the start of the epidemic.

“Frankly it’s been intensely frustrating,” said Soulsby. “It was only last Thursday that we finally got some of the data we need but we’re still not getting all of it and it was only at 1.04am that the recommendations for Leicester arrived in my inbox.”

“What they’re suggesting is not a return to lockdown, it seems that what they’re suggesting is that we continue the present level of restriction for a further two weeks beyond July 4.

“I’ve looked at this report and frankly it’s obviously been cobbled together very hastily. It’s superficial and its description of Leicester is inaccurate and certainly it does not provide us with the information we need if we are to remain restricted for two weeks longer than the rest of the country.”

Claudia Webbe, the Labour MP for Leicester East, also criticised the government’s communication over how the city should tackle the outbreak and called for a local lockdown.