Bradford fears being second city facing a local lockdown
BRADFORD residents face the spectre of becoming Britain’s second local coronavirus lockdown area today.
While business owners across England prepare for tomorrow’s “Super Saturday” when pubs, and restaurants fling open their doors, the West Yorkshire city has seen infections rise to 69.4 per 100,000 people.
After Leicester was this week forced back into lockdown with infection rate of 140 per 100,000, there are fears Bradford will be next.Ash Hussain is the owner of Blues HairWorkshop and was in the salon yesterday making preparations to reopen after being shut since March.
But Ash, 36, who employs 12 staff, was warning clients their appointments are in jeopardy due to the rising infection rate.
He has a full appointments list but has had to change working patterns, reducing the number of clients with stylists working over three floors.
He added: “We are trying to get prepared but I have already had to telephone clients due in on Saturday warning it might not happen now because of the figures in Bradford.
“If we are forced to go back into lockdown it will be a real kick in the teeth.
“It’s scary, will I survive? It’s the not knowing that’s worst”.
The NHS has erected a Covid-19 test centre outside Bradford’s imposing Town Hall and yesterday a steady stream of people queued outside.
Sami Redmond, 35, said: “If the Government had got the lockdown right first time around, like sooner and more strict, we wouldn’t be facing a second lockdown now.” But just yards from the fenced-off test centre, people stood inches apart laughing and drinking beer. Glen Ward, 38, regional manager of Major Recruitment was visiting the firm’s Bradford branch yesterday. The company furloughed 80 per cent of its staff but the Bradford branch reopened four weeks ago, with one person inside and others home-based. He said: “If Bradford goes back into lockdown we will have to repeat what we have done, we are ready, we just don’t want it to happen.”
Keith Wildman, 43, who runs award-winning pub The Record Cafe, said he will not reopen tomorrow.
He added: “My three staff are furloughed and I don’t want to risk the health of them or my customers by reopening too soon.”