Leicester could learn lockdown fate tomorrow

CASE NUMBERS COMING DOWN, SAYS HANCOCK, BUT ARE STILL ’WELL ABOVE’ NATIONAL LEVELS

HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock has said he will decide tomorrow whether Leicester will be allowed out of lockdown – but has warned the number of positive coronavirus tests in the city is still “well above” the rest of the county, writes local democracy reporter Amy Orton.

The city is waiting to hear if it will be released from tighter restrictions, or if these will continue for at least a further fortnight.

In an update in Parliament yesterday, Mr Hancock said there was “a process” for bringing the city out of lockdown, answering questions from Leicester South MP and shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth.

Mr Ashworth said the people of the city, which has now been in lockdown for 17 weeks, needed greater clarity about what would happen next.

Mr Hancock said: “There is a process for whether changes can be made in Leicester.

“We will look at 14 days of data – it is today 14 days since the measures were introduced - and we will look at that on Thursday and make a public announcement as soon as is reasonably possible.

“Thankfully, the numbers have been coming down in Leicester – we have put in that extra testing – but the number of positive cases in Leicester is still well above the rest of the country.”

He said the city, with 14 testing stations, now had the highest rate of testing anywhere in the country.

He added: “I won’t pre-judge the decision that we’ll take on Thursday and we’ll take into account all of the data.

“We won’t set out specific thresholds, we’ll look at all of the data.”

Mr Hancock said that both the “level and rate of change” would be considered and looked at with the local authorities.

Mr Hancock said the city, with 14 testing stations, now had the highest rate of testing anywhere in the country