‘ Peril’ as virus deaths double in last 12 days

Hancock issues alert amid confusion on new restriction levels across county

THE HEALTH Secretary has warned the coronavirus situation across the country is “perilous” as he defended the Government’s approach to tackling the virus.

Matt Hancock told MPs yesterday that deaths from the disease had doubled in the last 12 days.

But it comes as analysis of infection rates showed the virus may now be hitting towns and suburban areas harder than large cities.

An announcement is expected today over whether South Yorkshire will go into Tier 3 restrictions – the highest level – as it is understood Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis continued to push for a more generous furlough package yesterday.

But there was confusion over the rules in the region yesterday as City of York Council was forced to deny a national newspaper report that it was heading into Tier 3 measures, while another report suggested Sheffield City Region was to head into Tier 3 “imminently” yesterday too.

Meanwhile Dr Lincoln Sargeant, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, said that having all of Yorkshire and the Humber in the same tier would make it easier for people to understand.

He said: “There is an active discussion going on about whether Yorkshire and Humber, particularly those of us in the Yorkshire Coast and Vale area should move together into Tier 2.”

Sharon Stoltz, York’s director of public health, said: “There are currently no plans to move York into Tier 3 and we have not received anything from central government to suggest that this is likely.”

Both West and South Yorkshire are currently in Tier 2 restrictions, banning household mixing

indoors, while North Yorkshire and Hull and the East Riding are in Tier 1.

Mr Hancock told the Commons yesterday that talks were still ongoing with South and West Yorkshire over whether the areas would be required to move up to Tier 3, where all household mixing is banned and pubs must close.

Yorkshire MPs from both major parties urged Mr Hancock to provide more support for businesses.

Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford Labour MP Yvette

Cooper warned that hospitality owners and staff she had spoken to “all said that business had plummeted” going into Tier 2.

While Colne Valley Tory Jason McCartney said: “It’s clear that local people do want the tier system to work, but that does mean we need more financial support for Tier 3 and Tier 2, especially hospitality, where custom is really down.”

Mr Hancock said: “The combination of all the schemes that are available to businesses is something of a scale that this country has never had.”

Mr McCartney also asked for a “clear framework for timescales” and for how areas could move out of restrictions, but Mr Hancock said it was not possible to provide those.

There were 14 deaths recorded at hospitals in Yorkshire yesterday of people who had previously tested positive for Covid- 19, bringing the region’s total to at least 3,105. Nationally, 80 further deaths were reported, bringing the total to 43,726. And Mr Hancock said that the situation was “perilous”, with deaths doubling in the last 12 days.

He warned MPs Covid- 19 is “on the offensive” as winter draws in, telling the Commons: “Weekly deaths in Europe have increased by 33 per cent and here in the UK deaths have tragically doubled in the last 12 days. The situation remains perilous.”

But weekly coronavirus rates in Sheffield and Leeds, as well as other major cities, have dropped.

Overall, the numbers suggest the hotspots for Covid- 19 in England may have tilted away from big cities and towards builtup areas that do not necessarily have densely- housed student populations – and that the virus is now being spread increasingly through community infections rather than circulating largely within student accommodation.

It’s clear that local people do want the tier system to work. Colne Valley Conservative MP Jason McCartney.

BORIS JOHNSON is coming under increasing pressure to implement a national coronavirus “circuit- breaker” after the Government in Wales announced a “sharp and deep” lockdown.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said yesterday a twoweek “firebreak” lockdown will be introduced across Wales from 6pm on Friday.

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman defended the UK Government’s regional approach.

“We keep all of our measures under review but the PM has made very clear that he doesn’t want a return to something like a national lockdown and he believes that our three- tiered approach is the right way forward,” the spokesman said.

While earlier Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “The argument for a national circuitbreaker is not one that I, personally, find, at all persuasive.

“This is to apply on a blanket level – the same approach in Nottingham, the city which my constituency is next to, where the number of cases today is well over 700, to Somerset or Herefordshire, where the number of cases per 100,000 is below 40.

“It also means that, in addition to, undoubtedly, the difficult measures that we are talking about for Greater Manchester and other areas in Tier 3, such as restrictions on hospitality, the outright closure of all schools, the outright closure of most workplaces.

“The damage to the economy and to our broader health and wellbeing that would be brought about by a circuit- break, I think, would be very, very significant.

“And so the Government’s approach is a localised, a proportionate and localised approach for as long as there is such wide variations in infection.”

A YouGov survey for Sky News yesterday found 67 per cent of people would support a short “circuit- breaker” lockdown in England to stem the spread of the virus.

Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said the longer that Prime Minister Mr Johnson “dithers”, the harder it will be to take back control of the virus.

Speaking in the Commons he said: “To get the national R below one, more intervention will be needed than is currently proposed. So is it not in the national interest to now follow the advice of Sage and adopt a two to threeweek circuit- break?

“Last week, the Prime Minister when asked about a circuitbreaker said, ‘ I rule nothing out’ and he said he stands ready to apply those measures if necessary. But yesterday, ( Michael Gove) ruled out a circuit- break.

“So for clarity, has the Government

now completely ruled out a circuit- breaker in all circumstances? Because the cost of delay could be a deeper, longer, fuller lockdown.

“Is ( Matt Hancock) now ruling that out?”

He added: “If it’s politically easier for him, he doesn’t have to call it a circuit- break, he can call it a firewall, he can call it a national moment of reset.

Mr Hancock said: “We put the most support into the areas that need it most, and this approach that the Government’s taking – of targeting the support and the measures on the areas where they’re needed most – is at the core of how you retain the consent of people whilst we go through these difficult actions.”

Government’s approach is proportionate and localised. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.