Bring rate down now to save Christmas
COUNCIL LEADER APPEALS FOR PEOPLE TO OBEY RULES
THE leader of Broxtowe Borough Council believes Christmas will be off the cards if coronavirus infection rates are not brought down over the next 28 days.
Councillor Milan Radulovic said the next 28 days are critical and could determine whether we have “a good time” this Christmas.
He said the responsibility now lies with “all of us” over this crucial Tier Three period to follow the rules.
Councillor Milan Radulovic joined other politicians across Nottingham city, Gedling and Rushcliffe for around 10 hours of crunch talks over the future of the county.
The Government will put Nottingham, Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe into Tier Three for 28 days one minute after midnight tonight.
These areas will have until November 25 to bring the virus down.
Mr Radulovic said: “It is now up to you. Do you want us to have a Christmas? Let’s bring this down and have a good time.
“I want to see us in Tier None but it will probably be Tier Two or Tier One.
“But if we can do this properly we can be in Tier One.”
He said if the infection rate continues to rise after 28 days, or the hospitals become overwhelmed, then the Government will place the area under another 28-day curfew.
This would take the affected areas up to December 23 – a day before Christmas Eve.
Broxtowe has been offered a package of support, which Councillor Radulovic said includes £920,000 to support community groups and pay for extra Covid marshalls.
There will also be £2.3m to support businesses and a £345,000 fund for those who have been affected by lost trade.
Talking about the recent Government talks, he said: “I argued for stronger measures. I don’t think they will go far enough to bring us out of lockdown in 28 days.
“I did not think cinemas or theatres should be exempt.”
But he believes that having pubs and bars closed for 28 days would go some way to bring the virus down.