Tier 3 status is no Covid cure

South Yorkshire virus dilemma

IT IS indicative of the increasing prevalence of Covid- 19 that South Yorkshire’s political leaders have agreed, with the Government, to now adopt Tier 3 restrictions from this Saturday when they know it will add to the financial hardship being endured by so many families.

This was a difficult decision for Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster, but the consensus was that they had to act – and accept the Government’s £ 41m support – rather than hold out for money and risk jeopardising the health of the people they serve. In just a matter of weeks, Covid infection rates in Barnsley alone, which were the lowest in the region, now rank amongst the highest.

But people should be in no doubt that these ‘ circuit break’ measures will not cure Covid – they will simply buy hospitals, and carers, time to get on top of current cases and backlog in surgery as routine operations are switched to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital to ease waiting lists. Carers and NHS staff are also exhausted.

As such, it is crucial that this period is used by the Government, and public health directors at a more local level, to ensure Covid testing processes and practices become far more robust – there is concern that too much rule- breaking stems from families losing patience and faith with the handling of the crisis.

And, in turn, Boris Johnson should be fully aware – and accept – that he, too, will have to do much more for South Yorkshire, and also other Tier 3 areas, if the Covid re- infection rate remains high and does not permit any early lifting of restrictions. After all, Sheffield City Region was home to above- average deprivation and poverty before the first lockdown and the extra sacrifice expected of families there, and elsewhere, needs to be recognised by the PM if there’s to be maximum compliance – the virus will, regrettably, not be defeated on the cheap.