City is put on watch list as virus spreads
LEEDS HAS been added to Public Health England’s weekly watch list of areas of concern for Covid19, the city council confirmed last night.
The authority said latest figures show Leeds has a rate of 32.4 cases per 100,000 people and a rate on positive testing of 3.5 per cent.
A spokesman added: “The latest data suggests that a lot of the cases are in different areas of the city, meaning they may be linked to social interaction and leisure activities.”
The spread of the virus was “broad and changeable” across the city, he said. Cases were increasingly detected among people aged 18 to 34, following reports of house parties and other gatherings, the council added.
PEOPLE IN Leeds have been warned there will be “no alternative” to further lockdown restrictions if coronavirus infection rates continue to rise.
The city was added to Public Health England’s weekly watch list of areas of concern for Covid19 after figures revealed a rate of 32.4 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate on testing of 3.5 per cent. Also added to the list were South Tyneside, Corby, Middlesbrough and Kettering, while Newark and Sherwood, Slough and Wakefield were removed.
Leeds Council said: “The latest data suggests a lot of the cases are in different areas of the city, meaning they may be linked to social interaction and leisure activities.
“The spread is broad and changeable across wards and cases have also been increasingly detected in people aged 18- 34, with some concern over activities like house parties and gatherings.”
While inclusion on the “concern” list will not mean any further restrictions in Leeds at this stage, it does mean increased monitoring and potential additional steps in future if the city’s infection rates do not start to fall.
Council leader Judith Blake, who also chairs the city’s Outbreak Control Board, said: “We have been working tirelessly with our partners and communities, doing everything in our power to keep the spread of this virus under control and ensure Leeds stays open.
“However, we can’t accomplish that alone and this rise in infection rates means our window of opportunity is shrinking by the day and the city is rapidly approaching a tipping point.”
She said it was “absolutely crucial” that everyone followed the latest Government guidance.
The council has reminded people to isolate if anyone in their household is showing Covid- 19 symptoms, to keep social distancing, wear a face covering and to wash hands regularly.
Victoria Eaton, its director of public health, said: “It’s imperative we do all we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect one another at this crucial time for the city.”
The warning in Leeds follows widespread confusion in other parts of the North. Earlier this week, two areas lifted out of local lockdown measures were put back under restrictions, 12 hours after political leaders believed them to have been eased.
Bolton and Trafford had rising cases of the virus in the run- up to the relaxation but despite pleas from local leaders, the Government did not immediately reimpose the ban on residents from different households mixing.
In West Yorkshire, restrictions remain in place in parts of Calderdale and Kirklees, where indoor household gatherings are banned in Dewsbury and Batley.
No changes were made to restrictions in urban areas of Bradford, where indoor household gatherings are banned.
However, restrictions on indoor gyms, pools, dance and fitness studios, indoor sports facilities, casinos and soft play areas were lifted district- wide.
It is crucial that we follow the latest guidance to keep us all safe. Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, speaking yesterday.