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Liverpool’s acting mayor has called for a nationwide lockdown amid a growing number of Covid-19 cases in the UK.
Wendy Simon and the city council’s cabinet say the speed of the increase in coronavirus cases and a new, more transmissible variant mean action is needed to save lives and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. He said the number of infections had reached “alarming levels.”
Simon replaced Labor Councilor Joe Anderson in December after he was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and intimidation of witnesses. He has since been released on bail.
The new strain of coronavirus, which was first identified in south-east England, is believed to have spread northward. It is believed to have caused the spike in infections seen in December.
Cases in Liverpool have nearly tripled in the past two weeks to 350 per 100,000, despite the city leading the national pilot for community testing. As a result of an initially positive test, it was the first city to be moved out of level 3 and placed in level 2.
A statement by Simon and the council’s public health cabinet member, Paul Brant, said: “We need the government to listen to those on the front lines, both in our hospitals and in frontline services.
“Yes, there will be problems for our retail and hotel sectors, but they want long-term security and a strong recovery, and the lockdown provides both.
“An additional package of social assistance and financial support will also be needed, especially to protect the most vulnerable.”
The statement added: “London rates are a major concern and we will soon see those rates here and in the rest of the country.
“The country is currently facing a catastrophe that will undo much of what has been achieved if we do not act as such.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We will not hesitate to take the necessary measures to protect local communities.”
