West Sussex plunged under new, tighter Covid-19 rules
People in West Sussex must now stay at home and only travel for very limited reasons after the county was placed under lockdown.
Household mixing is now banned not be allowed, aside from support bubbles and two people meeting in public outdoor spaces, under the tier-4 measures.
All non-essential shops and hospitality venues are closed, apart from click and collect services and takeaway food and drink, with the traditional Boxing Day sales cancelled.
West Sussex has been moved into tier 4 along with other counties in the South East, due to a significant rise in infection rates across the region.
Figures showed 184.8 per 100,000 people in West Sussex had tested positive for Covid-19 in the seven days up to December 17.
Across the county, rates had almost doubled in the previous week, with cases rising even faster than this in some areas.
West Sussex’s interim director of public health, Dr Tony Hill, urged residents to follow tier-4 guidelines and consider the safety of friends, family and others at all times.
Dr Hill said: “I am very concerned at the rising number of cases of Covid-19 in West Sussex, as we should all be. Everyone has a responsibility to make themselves aware of the rules so that we do all we can to protect ourselves and each other.
“By washing our hands, wearing a face covering, keeping socially distant and abiding by the tier-4 restrictions we can, hopefully, bring the rates down, stay safe and ease the pressure on our NHS.”
Councillor Amanda Jupp, the county council’s cabinet member for adults and health and chair of the West Sussex Local Outbreak Engagement Board (pictured above right), said: “The restrictions are there to protect us, so it is extremely important that we all play our part and keep our county as safe as possible.
“Nobody wants to be in this situation, and I know we would all like to get back to normal.
“I urge everyone to follow the rules so that we can return to doing the things we enjoy as quickly as soon as possible.”
East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton joined dozens of Conservative MPs in voting against the introduction of the tier system of restriction on December 1.
At the time, his area’s infection rate figures were lower – but after the tier-4 announcement was made, despite being ‘disappointed’ with the news, he acknowledged the change in circumstances.
He wrote on his website: “We have also had briefings with the head of the Western Sussex Hospitals Trust and our hospitals are coping well although numbers at the Sussex County and Princess Royal have been moving up sharply.
“As you know I have not been in favour of blanket national lockdowns and I have queried the evidence that requires such a blunt instrument that impacts so dramatically on certain livelihoods and people’s lives but I have never been in any doubt about the seriousness of the threat that faces us all and that is never clearer than now.
“I want to thank everyone who has made so many sacrifices to take every precaution against spreading the virus, but it is likely that things are going to get worse before they get better and it is important that everyone abides by the new restrictions.”
More information about what tier-4 restrictions mean is available online, at www.gov.uk/ guidance/tier-4-stay-at-home
The county council’s Community Hub operated over the Christmas weekend.
It provides help to those who need support or may be experiencing hardship due to Covid-19.
People can contact the Community Hub in confidence by calling 033 022 27980 or by completing the online form.