North glad to be left out of the new restrictions
FOUR DISTRICTS COUNTING THEIR BLESSINGS – FOR NOW
RESIDENTS and politicians across north Nottinghamshire have welcomed four districts being left out of Tier Three.
Nottingham, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe will move into the “very high alert” level from midnight after talks between the Government and local leaders on Monday.
However, Mansfield, Ashfield, Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood districts will remain under Tier Two measures.
This comes despite all four areas recording more cases in the seven days to October 22 than the week earlier.
Mansfield is the area with particular concern after its rate per 100,000 people increased from 189.4 to 311 in just a week – the highest rate in any area not to be placed into Tier Three.
It follows 340 new cases being recorded in the district across the seven days to October 22 – 133 more than a week earlier.
The same number of cases were recorded in Bassetlaw, but the district’s rate is slightly lower at 289.5 cases per 100,000.
The town’s MP Ben Bradley is positive about the situation – but says there will “have to be further conversations” about moving into “very high alert” if cases keep going up.
He said: “From the very beginning of this conversation North Notts MPS have been clear that our area is different, both in terms of figures and also demographics, to the city and the Greater Nottingham area.
“We’ve been sharing our strong views with the Health Department for weeks that we didn’t want additional restrictions on people’s lives and businesses if we could avoid it.
“We need to keep doing our bit though as figures continue to increase, and if that carries on as it has then there’ll no doubt have to be further conversations about [Tier Three].”
In neighbouring Ashfield, cases have followed a similar trajectory to Mansfield and Bassetlaw as they continue to increase.
In the seven days to October 22, 380 new cases were recorded – 40 more than Mansfield and Bassetlaw – taking its rate to 297.1 cases per 100,000.
Ashfield MP Lee Anderson has “mixed feelings” about the announcement, with parts of his constituency split into different alert levels.
He represents Eastwood and Brinsley, which come under Broxtowe and will be moved into Tier Three tomorrow, and said: “The unfortunate part for Broxtowe is the geography. It is classed as the south of the county so it’s difficult to argue when they put the whole of the south of Nottinghamshire into Tier Three together.
“In the future [Ashfield] may still go into Tier Three – hospital rates are going up, cases are going up, so it’s the same important message of ‘hands, face and space’. But if we do the right thing we should be okay.”
The number of new Covid-19 cases in Newark and Sherwood district is at a considerably lower level.
To October 22 shows there were 239 new cases, with an active rate of 195.2 cases per 100,000.
However, less than a fortnight earlier, the rate across the district reached 236.9 cases per 100,000 when 290 new cases were recorded as a result of an outbreak at HMP Lowdham Grange.
However, Newark residents feel they have “got away with” not being included in Tier Three this week. John Hubert, 67, a resident of Newark all his life, said: “The rate here has changed so much in the last few months and now we need to be careful to make sure we don’t end up in Tier Three before the end of the year.”
Tracey Greensmith, 37, manager at Boyes in Newark, said: “I think if they put the whole county in Tier Three, it would stop people mixing into different areas so much. I worry that lots of people from Tier Three areas will come here and the rate could jump again.”