ARE WE HEADING FOR TIER 4?

WHY THIS MAY BE CITY AND COUNTY’S LAST DAY IN TIER 3

WITH vast swathes of the country plunged into Tier 4, Leicestershire’s Tier 3 Covid restrictions have begun to look almost relaxed by comparison.

But this could change today as a nationwide review is carried out, with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove refusing to rule out a third national lockdown.

Decisions will be made against a background of increasing pressure on the NHS. Health officials yesterday reported a further 546 confirmed coronavirus cases in Leicester and the wider county in the past 24 hours.

Latest figures show 231 cases in Leicester, while the total for the wider county stands at 315.

More than 46,000 people in the city and county have contracted the virus since the beginning of the outbreak.

Broken down by local authority areas, Charnwood recorded 69 new infections, while the figure for the Harborough district was 63.

Hinckley and Bosworth recorded 40 new cases, and there were 31 in North West Leicestershire, which covers Coalville and Ashby.

There were 40 cases in Oadby and Wigston, 52 in Blaby and 20 in the Melton district.

Mirror Online analysis of latest coronavirus infection rates has found 24 areas in Tier 2 and 3 with infection rates above 300 cases per 100,000 people, meaning they are in line for the tightest of restrictions.

Among these areas is Oadby and Wigston, which has recorded 3,141 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Infection rates are not the only way an area’s tier is decided, which explains why there can be areas with higher numbers of infections but in a lower tier.

The number of patients over 60 testing positive, hospital capacity and whether cases are going up or down are also all important factors.

Mr Gove said: “We review which tiers parts of the country should be in on the basis of scientific evidence.

“The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) will be making a recommendation to ministers, but I can’t pre-empt that because it obviously has to be a judgment based on the medical situation.

“The NHS is under pressure and these are difficult months ahead.”

■ Leicestershire Police issued six fines to people who were breaking the coronavirus restrictions on movement over the Christmas period.

While the majority observed the rules, the force said fines totalling £1,200 were handed out between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

All of the people who were fined were stopped and questioned while travelling in vehicles.