Warning over failure to heed Covid lockdown
THINGS COULD GET EVEN TOUGHER, SAYS COUNCILLOR
A LABOUR councillor has urged people to take Kirklees’ local lockdown seriously, after being told his area had suffered a surge in cases.
Heckmondwike councillor Aafaq Butt posted on his town’s Facebook group last night, revealing that he had been tipped off about a spike in coronavirus cases in the community.
He said the council’s chief executive, Jacqui Gedman, rang him to warn the town would now be subjected to a clampdown by public health officials.
This could include unannounced visits to check shops, pubs and businesses were following the recently imposed tighter Covid-19 legislation.
Clr Butt said: “As a result (of the spike), more interventions will now happen to try and bring the numbers down. These measures include visiting businesses and other outlets to check if social distancing and limits to numbers are being adhered to.
“There will also be a drive to break up groups of people that are seen.”
He added: “If we don’t bring the numbers down, then the restrictions could be made stricter, including a local lockdown, which I’m sure we’re all sick of now and don’t want.”
Any spike in cases is not yet evident in data available to the public. The most recent postcode level data published by Public Health England is for week 30 (July 20 -26). It shows “Heckmondwike North” as having 10 cases, while Ravensthorpe has 12.
But a spokesperson for Kirklees Council confirmed the spike.
They said: “We use the data we now receive to target areas in Kirklees that have higher infection rates. We publish that analysis every week.
Over the last seven days, we’ve seen a rise in rates in Heckmondwike and we’re taking action to address the increase.
“We are offering additional support to Heckmondwike through our outreach operation, which targets communities most affected by Covid19. This will see more council staff and our partners dispensing public health advice to residents and working with families and communities on how they can stay safe.
“We will continue to analyse the data to learn more about spikes or trends in areas or within specific social groups across Kirklees, and we will take targeted action to bring rates back down and save lives.
“We all have a part to play in doing this and the easiest and most effective way is to continue to social distance, wash hands regularly and get tested if you have symptoms. We’re now also urging people not to hold events that could attract a crowd of more than 30 people.”
The warning of a surge of positive cases comes amid several Kirklees MPs saying they were lobbying for their constituencies to be exempt from the restrictions when the situation is reviewed tomorrow.
Colne Valley Conservative Jason McCartney has said he is making the case for the constituency to be considered for an early easing of the new measures. Dewsbury, Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton Tory, Mark Eastwood, has made similar comments.
Yesterday, he wrote: “Working hard to get local restrictions lifted. Ideally I’d like Kirklees to come out as a whole ... but, if not, further to discussion with Matt Hancock last Friday, I’ve today sent a letter to ask he consider areas least affected have measures lifted by postcode.”
Heckmondwike is in the Batley and Spen constituency of Labour’s Tracy Brabin.