LIFE UNDER COVID-19 ON THE BORDER...
Lockdown is back, but will it work? Joe Burn spoke to those living on the border of Stoke-on-trent and Newcastle...
LOCKDOWN is back in Stoke-onTrent - now in Tier 2 form. But neighbouring Newcastle, sometimes described as the city’s seventh town, will remain in Tier 1 – for now at least.
Tier 2 means no mixing inside with other households, even down the pub. Outdoor socialising will still be restricted to the ‘rule of six’. And the new restrictions will not apply to work or education.
Stoke-on-trent has seen rates of coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in recent days.
The number of new cases rose to 210.2 per 100,000 population between October 13 and October 19, a further increase of 24.5 cases from the previous day’s figures.
And Royal Stoke University Hospital admissions have shot up too, from just seven to 94 in two weeks, according to figures from earlier this week.
As a result, city council leader Abi Brown and council health boss Paul Edmondson-jones wrote to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and asked to be moved up a Tier.
And on Thursday he announced the new changes will come into force from today but will only in the city and not other parts of North Staffordshire.
Residents living on the city border with Newcastle, felt the new measures would probably not work.
Hartshill resident Christopher Hyatt regularly visits Newcastle for its antiques markets on Tuesday and Thursday and has no plans to stop.
“I live on my own anyway,” said Chris, right. “I don’t think it will work really. All these restrictions are just slowing it down to stop the NHS being overwhelmed.
“The only thing that worked was a total lockdown and even that was just like pressing pause.
“It’ll be interesting to see what happens in Northern
Ireland after their circuit breaker and what happens in Wales with their lockdown.”
And 19-year-old civil engineering apprentice Gregory Ralley, below – who lives in Hartshill but works in the borough – said: “I can’t imagine that it’s going to work well for me and I could end up working from home.
“Which isn’t ideal as with being an apprentice, I need that contact with my manager, especially on jobs.
“I think it’s a poor attempt at stopping the virus.
“There are loads of pubs down here and I hear people walking up and down drunk all night. Who knows which side of the border they’re from?” Newcastle resident Paul Gleaves, aged 63, hasn’t left the borough since January, despite living near the border.
He said: “I don’t imagine I’ll really be affected by the changes.
“I don’t plan to go anywhere until it’s all over.” Councillor Abi Brown said: “By acting now, we can hope to stem this increase, limiting the time we are in these enhanced restrictions and – above all – avoiding further escalation.
“Taking this approach now will limit the damage to our local economy of a potential move to the ‘very high’ category.
“Swift, decisive, early action to quickly reduce the spread of coronavirus will reduce pressure on the NHS, prevent more unnecessary deaths, and the huge economic harm of the full lockdown we are seeing elsewhere.
“I’m not willing to put the lives of residents at risk by dithering when we can act now to save lives and minimise economic damage.
“I would like to thank our communities for everything they have done to try to contain the virus.”
Newcastle Borough Council have been contacted for comment.