Burton set to go into Tier 2 restrictions later this week
RETHINK BY COUNCIL DUE TO SOARING INFECTION RATES:
STAFFORDSHIRE will be subject to stricter Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions “by the end of the week,” it has been revealed.
Burton and other areas will follow Stoke into the higher alert level as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise across the county.
Official papers seen by the Burton Mail’s sister news team at StokeonTrentLive reveal the county’s alert level will go from medium (Tier 1) to high (Tier 2).
Staffordshire County Council had lobbied the Government to remain in Tier 1 last week but the soaring infection rate across all areas appears to have prompted a rethink.
The change will mean families in Burton and Uttoxeter will no longer be able to mix with other households indoors. The measures will last for at least two weeks before being reviewed.
Latest Public Health England figures show there have now been 10,768 cases since the start of the pandemic in the county, with an additional 424 announced yesterday.
Dr Richard Harling, the council’s director of health and care, said: “The virus is spreading in Staffordshire largely through social contact, so this extra guidance on mixing indoors will hopefully help reduce the rate of infection.
“By sticking to the Covid High Alert rules, we have the best chance of not only curbing the spread of infection, but also of having these extra measures removed as quickly as possible.”
The seven-day case rate up to Saturday revealed that Staffordshire’s infection rate was 239 per 100,000 people – above the national average of 213 per
100,000.
Council leader Alan White said: “Our residents and businesses have made huge efforts to keep our county safe and open but despite this cases continue to rise rapidly and we are now facing tighter restrictions.
“This year, Staffordshire has showed what it does best – pulling together and supporting our communities, but now we need to redouble our efforts to avoid any further restrictions and protect our county.
“We can, and we must, rise to this new challenge but it is down to each and every one of us to stick to the new rules when they do come into force to help keep Staffordshire safe and open for business.”
Last week, residents in Staffordshire were sent a letter by the county council warning that if coronavirus cases continued to rise the county could soon face tougher measures that would affect “individuals, families, communities and, critically, our local economy”.
That has now come to pass. Meanwhile, Derby is expected to be in Tier 2 lockdown restrictions “imminently”, according to the city’s director of public health, Dr Robyn Dewis. She has urged residents to act now by not mixing households to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the city.
Dr Dewis confirmed that talks have been taking place following a significant increase in coronavirus locally with 648 new reported cases in the week leading up to October 21, meaning that 252 people in every 100,000 have the disease.
The final decision about moving the city up to high alert level lies with the Government.
ANOTHER 57 people in East Staffordshire have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
There have now been 1,489 positive test in the borough since the beginning of the pandemic.
The infection rate is 1,243.4 per every 100,000 people.
There has been one more death in the borough since Monday, so the total now stands at 139 deaths, or 116.1 in every 100,000 residents.
Across Staffordshire, there have been a total of 750 Covid-19 deaths - three since Monday - meaning the county’s death rate is 85.3 per 100,000 people.
In South Derbyshire, there have been 53 new cases, with the total now standing at 1,278 at an infection rate of 1,191.5.
There have been no new deaths, with the total number remaining at 84 - a death rate of 78.3. In Derbyshire there have been 10,410 confirmed cases - a rise of 409 - and the infection rate since the start of the pandemic is now 1,296.9.
The number of deaths in the county stands at 626, a rise of 12, equating to 78 per every 100,000 people in the county.
In North West Leicestershire there have now been 903 cases, up 27, meaning the infection rate since February is 871.5. There has been one new death in the last 24 hours. The death rate is 59.8, with 62 people having died within 28 days of testing positive.
The Leicestershire-wide figures show 9,778 cases at an infection rate of 1,384.7, which is a rise of 309 overnight. Four more people have died in the county, meaning the total since the start of the pandemic is 424.
Across the country there have been 22,885 new cases, with 45,365 deaths in total, up 367.