Mayor: Let’s work together to get out of Tier 3 quickly
IMPOSING Tier 3 restrictions on Bristol will further damage the hospitality sector and could cost livelihoods, the city’s mayor has warned.
Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset will be placed under the strict measures when England’s national lockdown ends on December 2. The areas were previously in Tier 1, the lowest level of restrictions.
Yesterday the UK Government said the overall picture in the areas was concerning, with “very high case rates overall” of 325 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of 10.4 per cent. It said Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset were part of a wider travel-to-work area and so formed a “natural geographic grouping” that was separate to the surrounding area.
Under the restrictions, hospitality settings such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed and only able to continue sales by takeaway, clickand-collect, drive-through or delivery.
Following the announcement, a spokeswoman for Bristol City Council said Tier 3 measures were forecast to cost the council £2.8 million per month due to a shortfall in Government funding to support businesses and vulnerable people.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees urged people across the city to work together to bring cases down – and see the city move to less strict restrictions.
Mr Rees said: “While we all want to get back to normal as quickly as possible we also must get the Covid-19 infection rate in the city down.
“Covid-19 is devastating lives and livelihoods – people are becoming very unwell and businesses and workers are facing enormous financial challenges.
“For every moment we are in Tier 3, the hospitality sector will be further damaged, people will lose businesses they have built up and jobs will be on the line.”
Mr Rees added that people across the city all needed to work together to bring cases down – and see the city move to less strict restrictions.
He said: “We can all help move to a tier with fewer restrictions if we work together and follow the guidance.
“Covid-19 is transmitted from person to person, and we know that one of the main reasons for the recent increase in infection rates is because people are going into other people’s homes when they shouldn’t be.
“We all want to see friends and family, but for now it is really important we protect those we love by not visiting them.
“The sooner we all do this, the sooner we can get back to some normality.”
Bristol’s director of public health, Christina Gray said: “Across all tiers it’s important to remember how Covid-19 is transmitted and make sure we do all we can to prevent the spread of infection.
“So please wear a face covering when you need to, wash your hands regularly, and stay at home if you’ve been told to self-isolate.
“If you develop symptoms, stay at home and book a test.
“In the past week we’ve seen a slight drop in infection rates across the city.
“However we must not be complacent, we still must do all we can to further reduce infections.
“People are getting seriously ill, and we’ve seen increased numbers of people needing hospital treatment.
“This, alongside the usual winter pressures, is putting a strain on local NHS services. Please do all you can to
protect Bristol.” Tier 3 will come into force on 12.01am on Wednesday, December 2.
The Government website where users could use their postcode to find what tier they will be in was repeatedly showing an error message yesterday as huge numbers of people people tried to use it.
Health secretary Matt Hancock addressed the House of Commons at 11.30am as the tiers were announced.
He said: “These decisions are not easy but they are necessary.
“I want to thank everybody in the Tier 3 areas for the sacrifices they are making.”
The lowest case rates are in Cornwall, the Isle of Wight and the Isles
of Scilly, which are the only areas to be placed in Tier 1.
The majority of places would be in Tier 2, Mr Hancock said.
He said that Bristol was one of the places where cases had “risen sharply”.
During the first wave of the pandemic, Bristol escaped largely unscathed compared to other areas of the country, with far fewer case numbers.
However, it has been hit hard by the second wave and the seven-day case rate as of Wednesday was at 354 per 100,000 of the population.
This is much higher than the national rate in England of 218.4, and puts Bristol among the worst local authorities in the country.
The Post closely reported the outbreak at the University of Bristol throughout October, but more recently the areas with high concentrations of cases have not been student areas – places like Bedminster Down, where the surge in cases came as a surprise to many residents.
Case numbers and the death toll had been rapidly climbing throughout October and November, but finally began falling this week - but it was not enough to secure lesser restrictions.
Decisions on tiers are made by the government without negotiation and informed by the following factors:
» Case detection rate – in all age groups and, in particular, the over60s
» How quickly case rates are rising or falling
» Positivity in the general population
» Pressure on the NHS – including current and projected NHS capacity
» Local context and exceptional circumstances, such as a local but contained outbreaks.
The number of people contracting Covid-19 in Bristol rose sharply from September, and the city now has an infection rate of 390.2 new cases per 100,000 people. In the past seven days 1,808 positive results in the city.
We’re usually really busy in the build-up to Christmas, as a lot of other pubs are, but this year the Christmas period is completely ruined, which is concerning Landlord Andy Shaw
ABRISTOL landlord has said Bristol entering Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions is ‘catastrophic’ for the pub trade.
It was confirmed yesterday morning that Bristol will be placed under the highest level of measures when the lockdown ends on December 2.
This means pubs must stay shut and will only be able to sell goods for takeaway until December 16, when the measures will be reviewed by the Government.
Andy Shaw, owner of the Portwall Tavern in Redcliffe, said his pub was “only just breaking even” before the second lockdown began when the measures were more lenient.
He fears that his business and many others will now not be able to make enough money over the Christmas period to sustain them through January and February, which are traditionally quieter.
He said: “Tier 3 will be catastrophic for the pub industry - even Tier 2 would have been a disaster.
“We’ll have to carry on with the takeaway service we launched at the start of the second lockdown, which has kept things ticking over but hasn’t even brought in enough money to cover our rent.
“Tier 2 wouldn’t have been much better as while it would have meant I could have at least people in the pub, they wouldn’t be able to mix outside of their households or support bubbles and would have to order a substantial meal.
“Before this lockdown when we were in Tier 1 we were only just breaking even and it would be even harder to do that in the next tier up.
“We’re usually really busy in the build-up to Christmas, as a lot of other pubs are, but this year the Christmas period is completely ruined, which is concerning.”
Andy said it was unfair that pubs and restaurants were not being permitted to reopen fully in the build-up Christmas when data revealed there was a low infection rate in the hospitality industry.
He thinks the sector should be allowed to operate under Tier 1 restrictions throughout December to allow businesses to build up their cash reserves, before a planned two week circuit-breaker lockdown in January.
“It’s a double whammy for pubs as we won’t be able to make enough money in December and will inevitably have to close again when another lockdown is announced in late January due to spreading over the Christmas period,” he added.
“It doesn’t seem right that people can go and get a tattoo or have their eyebrows done in all three tiers, for example, yet pubs have really tough restrictions even in Tier 2.”
“But I’m trying to stay as positive as possible and all you can really do is adapt to try to get through it.”
Portwall Tavern recently launched on Uber Eats to ‘hopefully boost takeaway sales’.