North leaders back decision to delay reopening
NORTH East councils have backed Boris Johnson’s decision to delay the end of lockdown, amid rapidly rising Covid infection rates in the region.
The prime minister announced on Monday night that the final stage of relaxing lockdown restrictions would not go ahead as planned on June 21, but would continue until July 19.
That delay has been blamed on the spread of the Delta variant of the virus, which has become dominant in the UK over recent weeks. While the fastspreading strain has not yet been as prevalent in the North East as some hotspots, particularly in the North West, it has now caused a rapid spike in cases here – with Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland all now reporting infection rates above 100 cases per 100,000 people.
The region’s council leaders said yesterday that the rising infections had not yet caused a big increase in deaths of hospitalisations, but that ending lockdown next week would “risk undoing much of the hard work to date”.
They said: “The Government’s decision to delay the further lifting of restrictions is one we support given the concerning rise in case numbers due to the spread of the delta variant.
“It is vital we use this extra time to ensure second dose vaccinations to the over-40s and those who are at clinical risk are delivered at even greater pace to afford as much protection to those most vulnerable to Covid, while at the
same time speeding up the programme for all adults. Thankfully, we have not yet seen a big increase in hospitalisations or deaths during this latest wave, but keeping measures to reduce social contact and vaccinating more people will hopefully make the link between cases and those requiring hospital treatment even weaker.
“The Delta variant is more transmissible and we have seen an increasing number of outbreaks and clusters of cases in the North East which are being monitored and controlled by our Public Health teams. It is for this reason we need to remain extra vigilant and stay patient to avoid getting back into a stop/start situation for our businesses.”
The statement was signed by the leaders of Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, and Sunderland councils – plus North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll and Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim Mcguinness.
The group said they had “tried to put political differences aside” during the pandemic and called for extra government help to “ensure fairness” in the rollout of Covid tests and vaccines. They also called for face coverings to be mandatory in schools for the rest of term and urged people to socialise outside rather than indoors, as well as coming forward to get a vaccine as soon as you are offered one.
The statement added: “The way through this is continued collective action to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community - to keep the North East open and safe.”
A VACCINE bus will be travelling across Newcastle seven days a week as the city tries to catch up in the race to protect people against Covid-19.
Newcastle has been lagging behind the rest of the North East in its roll-out of the vaccine and health chiefs have warned that a significant push is needed to meet the Government’s target of offering every adult a jab by July 31.
The latest figures show that Newcastle has given a first dose of the vaccine to 58.8% of the city’s adult population, well below neighbouring areas and the Ukwide figure of 79.2%.
Just over 40% of Newcastle adults have received their second jab, compared with 56.9% nationally.
A vaccine bus will now be stationed at various locations across the city every day and community pharmacies will also be offering more pre-booked and drop-in sessions.
The first bus session was held yesterday on Old Eldon Square in the city centre.
The bus will be delivering the Astrazeneca vaccine, so this option will not be offered to the under-30s.
It is being targeted at people who are yet to get their first dose, but people awaiting their second one could also use the bus service. People can go to the mobile dropin service even if they have a vaccine appointment already booked, as that can be cancelled, and you do not need to bring anything with you.
Anyone who misses out on the jabs today can also get help from staff on the bus to book another vaccination appointment.
The location of the vaccine bus will be announced to nearby residents day-by-day by Newcastle City Council’s via text messages from local GP services, and via the local authority’s social media channels for larger sessions.
The council says it is aiming to deliver more than 15,000 vaccine jabs per week in order to ensure every adult can be offered one by the end of next month.
Coun John-paul Stephenson, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for public health and culture said: “It is incredibly important that everyone who is eligible gets their vaccine. It provides a high level of protection from the virus and will help our city recover from the pandemic.
“Our partnership approach to the vaccination programme has helped the city take great strides in vaccinating all our residents. This new, expanded community rollout will help bring the vaccine directly to our communities. It will eliminate barriers that may be preventing people having this vital jab.
“Our case rates show the virus has not gone away. Getting both doses of a vaccine and following the basic principles of ‘hands, face, space, fresh air’ are incredibly important.”
While Newcastle’s vaccine rollout has been slower than other parts of the North East, it does compare favourably with large cities in England such as Manchester and Birmingham.