ISOLATE IF YOU’VE COME FROM TIER 4

Health bosses urge visitors to act as if they’ve got Covid

STAYCATIONS and family visits are set to involve a ten-day self-isolation period, just like foreign holidays.

Public health officials in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester are urging anyone visiting from London, a Tier Four area or Wales – which is against government guidelines – to selfisolate for at least ten days.

Dominic Harrison, director of public health for the Lancashire authority of Blackburn with Darwen, said anyone who had travelled from a Tier Four area after last Wednesday should self-isolate for at least five days.

Scenes of people packing into railway stations in London before Tier Four controls came into force at midnight on Sunday have prompted fears the more infectious coronavirus variant could be spread across the country.

Council leaders in the West Midlands said anyone coming from the capital or Wales should ‘assume they have the new variant of Covid’ and act accordingly. They should continue to self-isolate even if they have a negative test, directors of public health said.

In Greater Manchester, anyone travelling to the area from any Tier Four area or Wales is asked to quarantine in the home they go to for at least ten days.

While other people in that house do not need to self-isolate, no visitors are allowed. In both areas, the policy, which also covers Christmas Day, is understood to be only strong advice, with officials having no powers to enforce it.

Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, director of public health in Tameside, Greater

Manchester, said: ‘The new strain of Covid, which is increasing rapidly in Tier Four areas, is extremely worrying. It is incredibly infectious and if you come into contact with someone with this strain, you are far more likely to catch it than the original strain.

‘We are so concerned about the potential grave impact of this that we have taken the difficult decision to ask anyone who has travelled here for Christmas from any Tier Four area or Wales to act as if they have this new variant, even if they have no symptoms, and selfisolate for at least ten days.’

Dr de Gruchy added: ‘We know so many people have been doing their bit for so long, and we know everyone desperately wishes we could see an end to the restrictions, but it’s more important than ever that we all put in that extra effort.’

Public health bosses in the West Midlands said: ‘We are asking anyone who has travelled to the region from any Tier Four areas or Wales, to assume they have the new variant of Covid and to self-isolate for at least ten days. Although our region is not in Tier Four, rates are increasing and it is highly likely that the new variant is circulating.

‘So please reduce your contact to a minimum, act like people you see have the virus. Remember that people may have the virus and show no symptoms.’

In the Liverpool City region, where a mass coronavirus testing pilot has been taking place, anyone who has travelled from London or the South East to the area has been urged to get a test.

Asked about the policies at the Downing Street press conference yesterday, Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said: ‘The message has been very clear, and I think I want to reinforce it – it is “stay local”.’

‘The message is clear – stay local’