‘The guidance is clear, we have to restrict travel’

HEALTH CHIEF SAYS SHOPPING IN HULL IS OUT

GRIMSBY residents shouldn’t be driving to other areas to carry out their Christmas shopping, a public health chief has warned.

Steve Pintus, the director of North East Lincolnshire public health, said that the Tier 3 rules clearly restrict unnecessary travel.

This means residents shouldn’t be driving to other local authority areas, such as Lincolnshire or Hull or Sheffield.

Unless there are urgent reasons like work or childcare, people shouldn’t travel outside of North East Lincolnshire.

“The guidance is fairly clear. In tier 3, we’re supposed to restrict travel and going out,” Mr Pintus said. “While we’d encourage people to support local shops, the guidance discourages people from travelling outside of their local authority area.” He also said that the Covid vaccine – which has just been approved for use in the UK – won’t be available to wider population immediately.

“This is an important milestone and has clearly got people excited,” he added.

“This vaccine is quite restricted in its movement and the number available this side of Christmas is limited by the need to keep it stable.

“The focus will be on the highest priority group such as over-80s and frontline healthcare staff. “The full rollout of this and other vaccines will come online later in the New Year.

“The vaccination programme will run well into the spring as it works it way through priority groups.” He added that although people may be sceptical about the new vaccine, it has passed all necessary tests.

“The level of resources put into these vaccines globally has been unprecedented,” he said. “The medical authority wouldn’t pass anything that doesn’t meet their stringent rules. They wouldn’t licence anything that was unsafe. “Relatives of vulnerable people can be assured that it hasn’t been rushed and is safe.”

He also addressed the rules around visiting other households at Christmas. From December 23 to 27, restrictions will be relaxed to allow a limited number of households to mix.

“People have a window of opportunity to create a Christmas bubble made up of three households. We’re waiting for further clarity but unfortunately people can’t join multiple bubbles,” he said.