Tier three restrictions expected to remain in place

HEALTH bosses and politicians expect east Lancashire to remain in the tightest Coronavirus restrictions in the run up to Christmas.

They saw little chance of ministers moving the area out of the ‘very high alert’ tier three into the more relaxed tier two allowing more household mixing and pubs and restaurants to reopen for meals.

But they were uncertain whether the county would be split between tiers.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry said: “It’s encouraging that our infection rates have fallen substantially but with rates in Rossendale, Darwen and East Lancashire still above the national average I don’t think it’s realistic for us to expect our area to be put into tier two.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s public health director professor Dominic Harrison said: “I expect most or all of East Lancashire to be in tier three along with central Lancashire.

“There is a possibility following the decision to split Hertfordshire between tiers they may do the same in Lancashire. We wait with bated breath.

“With Christmas on the horizon I think tier three is the wisest decision for now and we will see where we are in the second week in January.”

Lancashire County Council’s Dr Sakthi Karunanithi said: “I think that although our rates of infection in overall terms have been falling since October, we will be put in tier three.

“In epidemiological and public health terms that is the right decision.”