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Tighter blocking measures have been announced in Leicester due to an increase in coronavirus cases in the city.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said non-essential stores will close on Tuesday and that schools will close for most students on Thursday.
On Saturday the restrictions for pubs and restaurants in England will not be loosened.
Hancock said Leicester accounted for “10% of all positive cases in the country in the past week.”
He told the House of Commons on Monday night: “We recommend that people in Leicester stay home as much as they can, and we recommend against everything but essential travel to, from and within Leicester.”
The secretary of state added that the new local measures would be in force for at least two weeks, but they will be kept under constant review, and “we will not keep them in force any longer than necessary.”
Hancock said the number of positive coronavirus cases in Leicester was “three times higher than the next highest city,” and the relaxation of protective measures on July 6, which will allow the most vulnerable to the clinic to spend more time. outdoors, also not taking place in Leicester.
He said the decision to close non-essential retail was based on clinical advice, adding that “the children had been particularly affected” by the local outbreak and the risk of children transmitting Covid-19 is the reason why schools will be closed.
“To be clear, children have a very, very low risk of Covid, but we have been looking at the proportion of children who tested positive and therefore may be transmitting the disease,” he said.
Five Leicester schools have closed since early June due to the number of coronavirus cases and the wider closings starting Thursday will affect most students, but children of “critical workers” and those classified as vulnerable will still be able to assist.
Leicester suburbs such as Oadby, Birstall and Glenfield will also be affected, but Hancock said details of rooms in Leicestershire covered by the new closure measures would be published “imminently.”
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People in Leicester have been told to “stay home as long as they can”
The Leicester City Council said the new “tighter blockade restrictions” would be in place for “at least two weeks,” and that it was working to determine what other parts of Leicestershire would be affected.
The authority said in a statement: “The latest figures obtained by the city council show that 3,216 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Leicester since the start of the epidemic. Of these, 944 cases were reported in the past two weeks.
“These figures include the number of patients and staff who tested positive at hospitals … and the positive cases identified at testing centers.”
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Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said the government-imposed measures were “more stringent than we expected but we understand the need for firm action.”
He said: “[The government] They are clearly determined to start at the maximum, so to speak, to see how it works and then, perhaps, to use learning this in other areas that I will certainly follow.
“I can understand it by [the government’s] perspective: they are fully convinced that the level of disease transmission in Leicester is at a higher level than I think the figures show. “
Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton said “protecting residents is our primary concern,” adding that “it makes sense to increase restrictions in areas closer to the city.”
“I understand this is disappointing news for residents, parents of schoolchildren, and businesses when most of the country is reopening, but it is crucial that people follow the latest advice.
“Observe social estrangement, wash your hands, wear a face mask when necessary, and get tested if you have symptoms that are still vital.”
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The government will offer municipalities and municipalities “additional funds” to improve communication about the coronavirus to the population.
Hancock said the government had also “agreed to other measures” to address the Leicester outbreak:
- A walk-in testing center will open in the city, along with mobile test units
- City and county councils will receive “additional funds” to improve communications to the population at Covid-19 in all relevant languages
- The councils will ensure that “support is available to those who have to isolate themselves”
- Workplaces that have seen “case groups” will receive help to implement the strict Covid-19 guide
He added that the government “is still getting to the bottom of” the possible reasons for the outbreak in Leicester.
Blake Edwards said his classroom was fully booked for the next five weeks.
Blake Edwards, owner of the Flappers and Gentlemen salon, said he was “devastated” by the news.
The Leicester barber was supposed to reopen on Saturday, but now it will remain closed “with no new date in sight.”
He said: “It will also be very difficult for customers.
“Time is running out [for the business now], we will need more support.
“Even though the staff is being laid off, the rent has yet to be paid, all other bills still have to be paid.
“We don’t know what the next 12 months will be like.”
Leicester’s Highcross Mall tweeted Monday night that “only essential retail stores,” along with “restaurants and cafes offering takeaways,” would open Tuesday.
Rakesh Parmar, owner of Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe in the city center, said the additional restrictions will affect him “financially very, very badly.”
He said: “The coronavirus impact hit us on March 23, we closed for 10 weeks and then reopened on June 15, it has been a long job.”
Mr. Parmar said he “fully” understood why a new closure would be needed, but asked how his clients were feeling and said, “Very, very scared because it is closer to home than we thought.”
If there is one thing that has become clear during the pandemic, it is that the faster an action is taken, the better.
Given the magnitude of the outbreak in Leicester that has emerged, it is therefore not surprising that the government is taking tough measures.
But the question behind the scenes is whether it took too long to detect the magnitude of the outbreak.
One of the concerns about the test-and-trace system is how quickly data passes from the national team to local officials.
The national team passes many cases: any complex case related to residences, schools and prisons is automatically transferred.
But what the local authorities are not quickly obtaining are full details about the people who test positive.
It means that opportunities to spot trends and groups may be missed early.
It is now clear that cases in the city have been growing for a few weeks.
That at least raises concerns that the outbreak may have been delayed. If that is the case, it is important that lessons are learned because it is very likely that there will be more outbreaks like this in the coming weeks and months.
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a local “hit a mole” strategy used to deal with outbreaks in Weston-super-Mare and around GP surgeries in London would also “apply in Leicester.”
Speaking after Hancock in the Commons, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “We were alerted to the situation in Leicester 11 days ago.
“If we are, as a nation, to facilitate the blockade without problems, then those areas that do see outbreaks will need a faster response rate, otherwise we do not run the risk of the moles being hit.”
Leicester West MP Liz Kendall criticized the government for being “too slow” to contact the city council, adding: “More than [the] There have been briefings in the last few days that leave people anxious and confused. “
Meanwhile, South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa said he was working to obtain “necessary clarity” on the areas affected by the localized blockade.
Hinckley and Bosworth MP Dr. Luke Evans also said he was “waiting for the official map of [the] blocking area. ”
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