‘If we act now, we can prevent this’

Residents told to stick to rules after rise in coronavirus cases

RESIDENTS have been urged to ‘play their part’ to stop the Staffordshire Moorlands being put under stricter coronavirus measurers after infection rates continued to rise in the area.

While outbreaks in other parts of the county have stabilised, the Moorlands has seen a big jump in its infection rate, which increased from 110.7 on Friday to 149.3 cases per 100,000 on Monday.

The district has seen 147 cases over the past seven-day period.

Sybil Ralphs, leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, urged people to stick to the rules.

She said: “We’ve all worked so hard to protect our loved ones and to support our local businesses as they have re-opened but the number of cases is rising so we need to strengthen our resolve and all play our part in bringing the number down.

“If we don’t, we risk moving into the ‘high’ alert tier which would mean local businesses having to close again and people facing uncertainty and further disruption to their lives. But if we act now we can prevent that – so it’s now more important than ever that we stick to the basics of hands, face, space and the ‘rule of six’.

“I urge you, do it for yourself, your family, your friends and do it to help protect all the residents and businesses in the Moorlands.”

Meanwhile, Park Medical Centre in Leek remained closed yesterday after shutting last Friday for a ‘deep clean’.

The surgery on Ball Haye Road said: “Park Medical Centre remains closed as a precautionary measure.

“Public Health England have worked closely with the surgery to ensure the safety of staff and patients. Safety is our priority. We apologise for any inconvenience.”