Covid closures return to pubs, bars, gyms and more in region
BARS, pubs, gyms and casinos were again forced to close their doors as Southport was hit with the most severe lockdown restrictions.
The town, alongside all other areas of Liverpool City Region, was placed in Tier 3 of the government’s new traffic light system in response to the second wave of Covid-19.
Workers in businesses forced to close their doors will receive two thirds of their wages via the government but local leaders have vowed to fight for a fairer deal for staff and employers.
Among the other restrictions are a total ban on households mixing anywhere except outdoor public spaces, though social bubbles remain in place and schools and workplaces such as offices are allowed to stay open.
Restaurants and pubs which serve full meals have been allowed to continue operating but can only serve alcohol alongside food.
Residents in the Tier 3 area, which includes Sefton, Liverpool. Knowsley, St Helens, Wirral and Halton, are also advised not to travel out of the Liverpool City Region unless essential.
Like in Halton, many Southport residents have questioned whether the town should be included as Tier 3 when its Covid rates are considerably lower than not just elsewhere in the region, but also than areas which have not been classed as Tier 3.
In the week ending October 9,
Sefton recorded 1,170 cases of the virus or 423.3 per 100,000 people. That compares to 609 per 100,000 people in Liverpool and 834 per 100,000 in Nottingham, the latter of which is not in Tier 3.
Southport MP Damien Moore stated he did not believe it should be included in the very high-risk Tier 3 category.
He said: “Southport’s rate of infection, albeit a stark increase when compared to levels a few weeks ago, is not as bad as the rest of Merseyside, and I understand many of my constituents are already sceptical about their affinity to the wider-region.
“They will be questioning why they are being subject to the same restrictions and it will be a hard-sell to convince the majority of those living and working in Southport that this level of restriction is necessary when stacked against the adverse impact on our economy and long-term wellbeing.
“The government needs to explain how our region can deescalate its level of severity in the fight against Covid and how residents living in Merseyside and Southport can regain control of their personal freedoms in the weeks ahead.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Tuesday told the House of Commons that future lockdowns could be done on a ward-by-ward basis but there was no suggestion that such a plan would be retrospectively applied to Sefton.
The decision to close gyms has caused a particular backlash, particularly in relation to the positive impact exercise has on mental health and because good physical health can aid recovery from the virus.
Outdoor sport remains permitted but a closure of gyms potentially stretching through a dark and cold winter remains an unpopular prospect.
Mr Moore said: “I also cannot fathom the closure of our leisure centres and gyms.
“We have to consider the mental welfare of our nation and balance measures taken to control the spread of this virus with personal freedoms and what is realistic to expect of a population already disenfranchised with the idea that we are ‘all in this together.”
It is not yet clear how long the new restrictions will be in place other than that Mr Hancock has said they will be under regular review. However, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has warned that these changes alone may not go far enough.
He said: “I am not confident - and nor is anybody confident - that the Tier 3 proposals for the highest rates, if we did the absolute base case and nothing more, would be enough to get on top of it,” he added.
“And that is why there’s a lot of flexibility in the Tier 3 level for local authorities... to actually go up that range, so that they can do significantly more than the absolute base.
“Because the base will not be sufficient, I think that’s very clearly the professional view.
“But there are quite a lot more additional things that can be done within that, with local guidance.”