Lockdown may have to stay, Leicester told

THE Health Secretary has indicated that a lockdown in Leicester may have to remain in place, despite the city’s mayor arguing that the measures are no longer necessary.

From last month, only essential travel to and from Leicester has been allowed, with most shops remaining shut after it became the first city in Britain to have restrictions reimposed because of a spike in coronavirus cases.

But there have been mounting calls for the Government to release areas such as Birstall and Glenfield from the restrictions, as Sir Peter Soulsby, Leicester’s Labour mayor, revealed that only 10 per cent of the city’s neighbourhoods “have a higher transmission” of the virus.

Yesterday Matt Hancock suggested the number of cases in Leicester may still be too high to lift the city-wide lockdown as they remained “well above the rest of the country”.

The Government is analysing “14 days of data” on Covid-19 cases and will make an announcement today about whether the local lockdown measures will be eased. Mr Hancock said: “Thankfully the numbers have been coming down in Leicester, we have put in that extra testing, but the number of positive cases in Leicester is still well above the rest of the country.”

His comments come after Sir Peter suggested that data should have been shared much earlier with local officials so the council could have introduced preventive measures in high risk areas. He has now said the lockdown in its “entirety” is no longer “justified”.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it is important for Leicester to be treated “as a whole” as people from different areas mix in the city, with data showing that “several workplace outbreaks” were outside wards with highest transmissions.

Figures show the city has seen its infection rate fall from 156.8 per 100,000 people in the week to June 26 to 114.3 in the seven days to July 10.

It is understood Mr Hancock is to announce closer monitoring of the council amid criticism of its response to Covid-19. To curb infections, door-todoor testing is being rolled out in the worst affected areas.