Rushton: Lockdown could have covered the entire county
Council has agreed to release more data as soon as it is allowed
THE whole of Leicestershire was under consideration for lockdown, it was revealed last week.
The city of Leicester and some areas just beyond its boundary were placed under tight restrictions – with non-essential retail and schools forced to shut – in a bid to tackle a spike of coronavirus infections.
There has been widespread frustration about parts of the county being included in the lockdown, which will last until July 18 before being lifted or extended for at least a fortnight.
Last Wednesday, however, county council leader Councillor Nick Rushton said that at one point, a suggestion that the whole of Leicestershire should be included in the local lockdown was being discussed.
Addressing fellow county councillors, he said lengthy discussions took place with test and trace supremo Baroness (Dido) Harding, Health Secretary Nick Hancock and Public Health England (PHE) officials before the map was drawn up.
He said: “I recognise that a lot of people are unhappy that in their view they’ve been lumped in with Leicester but it’s not so much lumping in. The virus doesn’t know boundaries.
“When we were drawing up the map we consulted with
PHE and the Secretary of State, and after numerous versions of the map we came up with the final one, and when I was in conversations with Baroness Harding, she said there was an argument the boundary could have gone wider.
“There was even an argument that the boundary could have included the whole of Leicestershire, which would have caused even more angst.
“I know we had to put it together relatively quickly, but please be reassured that we took the best possible advice we can to get the map together.”
Braunstone Town county councillor Amanda Hack called for figures to be released explaining why communities such as hers had been included in lockdown.
Coun Rushton said: “Everybody is asking for data, data, data, date.
“It has been agreed with the Secretary of State, Public Health England and us that as soon as we humanely can we will release every single bit of data that we can.
“We would like to have released some of it but we have been under a confidentiality agreement with Public Health England that we couldn’t release it.
“The moment you people will still moan.
“It will definitely show some areas that aren’t as bad as the city centre or Evington, or wherever, but we will release it as soon as we can.”
Delivering a position statement on the Covid-19 crisis, Coun Rushton said: “These last few months have been the biggest challenge of our lifetime and this challenge continues.
“My thoughts, and no doubt those of all members of this council, are with those who have lost loved ones.
“Whilst Covid-19 has had a devastating impact it is heartening to see how people and, in particular, the public sector have responded and risen to the challenge.”
TALKS WERE HELD ON EXTENDING BOUNDARY FURTHER, SAYS LEADER
release it