City’s public health boss explains tier 3 decision

WITH increasing infection rates across all age groups and pressures on the NHS, the city and surrounding areas will be placed into the highest measures just before Christmas rules come in.

Portsmouth has been in tier two since December 2, but now it will be moved to tier three along with Gosport and Havant from Saturday.

The new rules mean no mixing with other households indoors and pubs, restaurants and theatres must close.

We asked Portsmouth City Council public health director, Helen Atkinson, more about the measures.

Why has Portsmouth gone in to tier three but not other areas in Hampshire?

We are in tier three because we have seen the infection rate growing over the last two to three weeks.

The national lockdown did slow the rise of infections, but we started to see an increase in adults and then in all of the age groups and we are particular worried about our over 60s and even more so our over 80s.

We are now over 200 in terms of a coronavirus rate. It has gone up more quickly than other areas in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Does the council and local NHS get a say in tier reviews?

It is a government decision that is based on certain indicators that we regularly look at as well.

One of them is the pressure on the NHS, the others are infection rates in all ages and how quickly the rate is going up week on week and then how many people are testing positive.

Why have we moved into tier three just before Christmas rules start? Should we have had a tier review earlier?

It is my job to protect the health of people in Portsmouth so from my perspective going into tier three is the right thing to do.

But I am aware about the impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing and we are seeing an increase in those issues. I am also really conscious of is the economic damage the pandemic is doing.

The hospital is seeing huge pressures at the moment not only from Covid but coupled with normal winter pressures so I do think we needed to be in tier three.

I want encourage people to follow the rules and not to have a final blow out on Friday.

The virus isn’t going to go on holiday at Christmas.

What do you think 2021 will look like?

I am expecting January and February to be really bad in terms of the infection rate because we will see the consequences of next week. We have a high infection rate already and it will continue to go up.