Social visiting clampdown in Preston as virus rates rise in north
HOUSEHOLDS in Preston were yesterday banned from mixing indoors or in gardens from midnight last night, while restrictions already imposed on other areas will remain in place.
Measures banning mixing between households were due for review on Thursday, a week after they were brought in for residents in Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire, as well as Leicester.
The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed yesterday afternoon that current rules on gatherings in those areas would not be lifted and that Preston would become the latest place to be included in a ban on households gathering in homes and gardens.
Local leaders in Preston warned on Thursday that it could face a government intervention amid rising infection rates.
There were 61 new cases in Preston in the seven days to August 4, which is the equivalent of 42.6 cases per 100,000 people – up from 21.7 per 100,000 in the previous seven days.
At the request of the local authority, Preston will now be added to a watch list as an “area of intervention”.
The UK Government said guidance will make clear that people should not be gathering with other households anywhere indoors.
Preston’s new restrictions mean that from midnight last night, residents cannot have others in their homes and gardens; cannot visit other people’s homes or gardens, even if they are in an unaffected area; and are not permitted to mix with other households in indoor venues.
Social bubbles are exempt from the restrictions, and residents can meet in groups of up to six – or more than six if exclusively from two households – in outdoor areas such as parks and beer gardens.
Households can also visit indoor hospitality venues, so long as they do not mix with others.
The Preston restrictions are in addition to those being brought in across England from today making face coverings mandatory (unless exempt) in indoor places of worship; museums and galleries; public areas in hotels and hostels; bingo halls; libraries; cinemas; concert halls; crematoria, aquariums and indoor zoos.
Lancashire’s director of public health, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, said: “In the past week, the number of positive cases in Preston has increased significantly and it is extremely important that we act now to prevent the situation from getting any worse.
“The evidence is clear, we all need to take extra precautions to protect our loved ones. Coronavirus affects all of communities and we all need to do our part to prevent the spread from continuing to rise.
“I also want to be clear that this is affecting people from both south Asian and white ethnic backgrounds, particularly those living in poor socio-economic conditions in our city. We need to avoid mixing between households and to maintain two-metre social distancing, particularly in pubs and clubs.”
Preston City Council chief executive Adrian Phillips said: “The number of cases in Preston have increased rapidly in recent days, leading to government categorising the city as an area of intervention. It is also alarming to see that the under-30s are contracting it at a significant rate.
“It is clear that coronavirus is still here and we all need to work together to keep ourselves, our friends, families and communities safe from this virus.
“While some wards have recorded a higher level of cases, this remains a city-wide issue and it’s essential that we all do our part to fight the virus.
“We’re urging everyone to be diligent and follow the restrictions, in order to protect all of our residents, communities and businesses.”
The restrictions on gatherings will be reviewed again next week, with any changes to be announced by next Fri
day. England Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The past week has been difficult for many people in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and east Lancashire, and I thank everyone in these areas for their patience and willingness to follow the rules.
“Yesterday I chaired a meeting of the Local Action Gold Committee, and unfortunately the data does not yet show a decrease in the transmission of this terrible virus.
“It means we must keep the current restrictions in place to allow more time for the impact of this ban on indoor gatherings to be felt, and make sure residents are protected.
“At the request of the local area, we are also extending these restrictions to Preston.
“We are constantly examining the data on the prevalence of the virus in these areas, and we will review the measures again next week.
“As we continue to see rising rates of the virus across Europe, it is vital we take every precaution to protect our country.
“I urge everyone in these areas to follow the rules, get yourself a free test as soon as you get any symptoms, and isolate if NHS Test and Trace tells you to.”
According to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), an average of 3,700 people per day in private households in England were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between July 27 and August 2, down slightly from 4,200 per day in the period July 20 to 26.
An average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between July 27 and August 2, according to the new estimates, equivalent to about 0.05% of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.
The ONS said that while recent figures had suggested the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid19 had risen since the end of June, there is now evidence to suggest that this trend may have levelled off.
Responding to Mr Hancock’s announcement that restrictions on social visits to homes in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire will remain in place for a further week, a Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) spokesman said: “The mayor of Greater Manchester and leaders agreed on Wednesday that the heightened restrictions should continue in the city region for another week.
“Alongside the continued measures, Greater Manchester will be taking further action locally over the next seven days.
“Targeted enforcement will be taking place, such as mystery shoppers visiting pubs and restaurants to ensure they are complying and taking down customers’ details.
“We will also continue to focus on communicating direct and simple messaging to the public, especially with younger people, to make sure it is clear there should be no social visits to homes while these restrictions remain in place.
“However, we also need government to improve the test and trace system. Ministers must ensure people have the financial support to be able to immediately self-isolate and we need under-utilised national centre staff redeployed to local areas.”