Councillor ‘bitterly disappointed’ with move to Tier 3

BUCKS: Bucks Council leader Cllr Martin Tett said he is ‘bitter ly disappointed’ that the county has been moved up into Tier 3, but claimed the news was evidence of how serious the virus remains.

Cllr Tett had warned his cabinet earlier this week that a move into the ‘Very High’ alert category was potentially on the cards amid a surge in infections in Bucks.

Yesterday (Thursday) Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced it would be joining neighbours Berkshire in the highest tier, placing restrictions on businesses and outdoor socialising.

The current weekly rate of COVID infections in Bucks up to December 11 stands at 211 per 100,000 people.

Cllr Tett feared that a move to Tier 3 brings ‘added pressures’ for the local economy and said that by following the rules, the country would be able to contain the ‘deadly’ virus.

“So soon after the good news about the vaccine roll out, if anyone needed a reminder about how serious a threat coronavirus remains, then this is it,” Cllr Tett said.

“We’ve seen cases sharply rising again locally which is clearly the wrong direction and going into Tier 3 now brings additional restrictions and pressures, particularly for our local economy.

“This definitely isn’t the news we wanted, but we’ll continue working with our Members of Parliament, the Buckinghamshire NHS and local business organisations to understand the full implications for our residents, our businesses and of course for people’s health and wellbeing.

“It remains imperative that everyone in Buckinghamshire follows the rules laid out; this is going to mean difficulties, tough choices and personal sacrifices particularly over the Christmas and New Year period.

“But, it’s the best way to beat COVID-19, get infection rates down and for the country to gain back the upper hand against this deadly virus.”