Case rate continues to climb despite measures
Sunderland’s weekly case rate has increased week on week in the month since local lockdown restrictions were introduced in the North East.
On September 17, the day local lockdown restrictions were announced Sunderland’s weekly case rate stood at 75 per 100,000 people.
Four weeks on and the city has 285 cases per 100,000 people with 793 people testing positive for the illness over the last seven days.
This comes as MPs have questioned if local lockdowns are working at all and the Government considers closing pubs in the north of England entirely from Monday.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick refused to rule out closing all pubs and restaurants speaking on Thursday.
He said ministers are “considering what steps we should take” as he warned of a “fast and serious situation” in the North.
The warning comes after council leaders of Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds wrote to the Health Secretary and said that local lockdowns are “not working, are confusing and ”counter-productive".
Sunderland, along with the six other council areas; Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Northumberland, were put under additional restrictions on September 18.
These were tightened further last week when it was made against the law to meet with someone outside of your household or support bubble in any indoor setting.
Professor John Edmunds, who advises the Government’s coronavirus response as part of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said that the restrictions in the north of England, are not effective.