Move into Tier 3 ‘inevitable’ says county leader
HYNDBURN was set to move into Tier 3 - classed as ‘very high risk’ - as discussions with Government health officials continue over reclassifying the county’s alert level.
Lancashire County Council leader Geoff Driver said the move into Tier 3 is ‘inevitable’ due to the county’s high infection rates.
It comes after Hyndburn’s council leader offered a cautious backing to more stringent restrictions.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Coun Driver said: “It’s really a question of when and how, and we’re working with Government trying to put together a package of measures that will mitigate the inevitable impact on that particular sector of the economy.”
The Conservative councillor said he did not feel the county was being “railroaded” into the measures. However, he said that “very, very firm advice” from Lancashire’s directors of public health is that closing the pubs and bars will not, in itself, get on top of the virus.
The LCC leader warned that further measures will be needed and also called for more resources.
He added: “It’s an inescapable fact and the very, very firm advice that we’re getting from our directors of public health is that closing the pubs and bars will not, in itself, get on top of the virus, so we will need to take other measures in addition to that and in order to do that effectively we need more resources. That’s the push that we’re making with Government at the moment.”
The Government has warned it is ‘highly likely’ that some or all of Lancashire will be put into the most severe Tier 3 soon.
Lancashire’s leaders say they have been clear that any additional restrictions must be accompanied by a full package of support for the county’s residents and businesses.
Hyndburn’s Labour council leader Miles Parkinson said: “With regards to inevitability, it is certainly looking that way. Provided nobody is left behind, with a heavy heart I would support going into tier three.”
But just days earlier Hyndburn MP Sara Britcliffe had welcomed the tier two announcement.
She had said: “I think there will have been a sigh of relieve from owners of pubs and bars and their customers. However people must obey the new rules to reduce transmission of Covid-19 or we will be moved in to tier three.”
Currently, the total number of Covid-19 cases across the county is now 25,259 since the start of the pandemic. All 14 local authorities in Lancashire recorded a rise in their infection rates in the week to October 13, with Rossendale seeing 252 new cases in seven days, up from 234 the week before.