City and county braced
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday that lockdown will end on December 2 but be replaced by a strengthened tier system lasting until the end of March, examines the reasons why the city and parts of the county are likely to be placed in t
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday that lockdown will end on December 2 but be replaced by a strengthened tier system lasting until the end of March, Dan Martin examines the reasons why the city and parts of the county are likely to be placed in the top tiers – and Amy Orton sets out what the revised restrictions will mean for all of us
PEOPLE will learn this week what level of restrictions they face when the national lockdown ends next month – but all evidence suggests a number of areas are likely be placed in the highest tier.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday the month-long lockdown will end on December 2 as planned but will be replaced by a toughened three tier system due to last until the end of March.
Mr Johnson warned more parts of England are expected to be placed into higher tiers than they were before the national restrictions were imposed.
Leicester entered the national lockdown in Tier 2 but public health officials said it was certain to have been lifted into Tier 3 given the rates of infection in the city.
Oadby and Wigston borough was also in Tier 2.
The rest of Leicestershire had been in Tier 1 but Charnwood was set to be placed in Tier 2 just before the second national lockdown began.
Infection rates are higher in all parts of Leicestershire now than they were when the national lockdown began on November 5.
Local public health bosses warned infection rates of 300 cases per 100,000 cases could tip areas into Tier 3.
Leicester’s current rate is 454.8 cases per 100,000 and it is 342.1 in the county.
Officials have been urging people to observe lockdown rules and social distancing to try to bring the rates down.
Mr Johnson said the new tiers would be tougher than their predecessors, after government scientific advisers said the previous regime did not do enough to tackle the virus.
Under the new system:
In Tier 1, people should work from home wherever possible.
In Tier 2, alcohol may only be served in hospitality settings as part of a substantial meal.
In Tier 3, pubs and restaurants will only be able to offer takeaway and delivery services, while indoor entertainment, hotels and other accommodation will close.
The 10pm curfew will be relaxed, with last orders now closed at that time and premises ordered to shut at 11pm.
Setting out other measures that will be eased as the lockdown lifts, Mr Johnson said: “From next Wednesday people will be able to leave their home for any purpose and meet others in outdoor public spaces, subject to the rule of six, collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume, and shops, personal care, gyms and the wider leisure sector can reopen.
“But without sensible precautions, we would risk the virus escalating into a winter or new year surge.”
Details of which areas will be in which tiers will be set out on Thursday.
“I’m sorry to say we expect that more regions will fall at least temporarily into higher levels than before,” he warned.
Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said, as it stands, the city was heading for the tightest measures.
He said: “Unfortunately, the rates in Leicester and Leicestershire remain high and we need them to drop significantly if we want to enter a lower tier. “It is a matter of great concern. “We are not being helped by the government’s failing test and trace system.
“We have again asked if we can have greater control over testing locally because that would give us a greater chance of bringing the levels of infection down.”
A plan to allow families to be reunited for Christmas is being thrashed out with the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but Mr Johnson was unable to confirm details yesterday.
“We all want some kind of Christmas, we need it, we certainly feel we deserve it,” he said.
“But what we don’t want is to throw caution to the wind and allow the virus to flare up again, forcing us all back into lockdown in January.”
He acknowledged coronavirus “is obviously not going to grant a Christmas truce” and warned that families will need to make a careful judgment about the risk of visiting elderly relatives.
Despite the tougher measures, the Government’s scientific advisers warned they might not go far enough and a Tier 4 may be required in areas where Tier 3 restrictions are not able to shrink the epidemic.
The Sage scientific advisory panel also questioned the value of Tier 1, concluding that “Tier 2 is the minimum intervention required to maintain any degree of control on transmission”.
As well as the progress on vaccines, Mr Johnson pointed to the expansion of rapid mass testing as a way of returning to something approaching normality.
This could include allowing people who test negative greater freedoms and the prospect of a daily test replacing precautionary isolation for people who come into contact with a coronavirus case.
Despite the progress on a vaccine and the testing developments, Mr Johnson acknowledged “this will still be a hard winter, Christmas cannot be normal and there is a long road to spring”.
“But we have turned a corner and the escape route is in sight,” he said.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Prime Minister’s strategy was risky because the previous tiered system failed.