Covid measures are ‘massively stressful’ says deputy leader
A ROSSENDALE council chief has questioned where we are going with Covid-19 restrictions after a public health director called for government consistency in decisions over which council areas will face the tightest controls.
It comes after Labour questioned whether ‘political interference’ is at play when ministers are deciding which places face local lockdowns.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth suggested wealthy and Tory-voting areas are being spared when more deprived constituencies which did not return Conservative MPs were hit with tough restrictions.
Mr Ashworth said: “Because there is no clear guidelines as to why an area goes into restrictions and how an area comes out of restrictions then there is a suspicion that there is political interference - I hope there isn’t.”
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Professor Dominic Harrison tweeted: “Are you more likely to have social lockdowns earlier and for longer and at a lower confirmed case rate if you are a northern, less wealthy, non-Conservative voting local government area? Check the data.”
He told the Local Democracy Service afterwards: “Looking at the data for the week to September 25, it is clear that there is now a differential level of central control applied across local authorities - with some of the more economicallychallenged boroughs being placed into more restrictive control measures at an earlier point in their confirmed case rate trajectory.
“This has the effect of exacerbating the economic inequality impacts of the virus in those areas.”
Rossendale council deputy leader Coun Jackie Oakes cast doubt on the direction of public policy and said the economic toll of continued virus restrictions was a real worry.
She told the Free Press: “I think it’s massively stressful for a lot of people. I don’t feel it’s being managed in any way at all, although if I’m honest I wouldn’t want to be an MP at the moment. People are going to start losing their jobs and losing their houses.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The number of cases is only one of a set of considerations regarding when it is appropriate to impose and release restrictions, and decisions are made in close consultation with local leaders and public health experts.
“While we recognise how much of an imposition these measures are, they are based on the latest scientific evidence in order to suppress the virus and protect us all while doing everything possible to support the economy.”
Lancashire recorded a surge in new cases over the last three days with another 854 on Tuesday, including 35 in Rossendale.
Rossendale’s current infection rate stands at 222.4 per 100,000 people after a further 159 cases were reported in the latest seven-day period, up more than 50 per cent from 104 the previous week.
Lancashire Resilience Forum (LRF) announced this week there will be at least one permanent testing centre in each of the county’s boroughs, although walk-in centres will be closed.