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A “large crowd” had to be dispersed from Liverpool city center after pubs closed at 10pm last night, hours before the strict coronavirus Tier 3 restrictions were imposed.
Images posted on social media showed dozens of people dancing in Concert Square, one of the busiest nightlife spots in the city.
Few appeared to be wearing masks or following social distancing measures.
A heatmap on Snapchat shows that there was a lot of activity in Concert Square
A video posted on Snapchat that also showed the crowds last night was captioned: “Herd immunity, here we go.”
In a statement, Merseyside police told Sky News that a large crowd dispersed quickly and safely, and that the incident stopped after all businesses in the area managed to close.
“While we understand how the new rules being implemented today are frustrating for some, we would continue to advise everyone to adhere to them, including maintaining social distancing, for the safety of all,” said Chief Superintendent Peter Costello.
According to the Liverpool Echo, a police car was attacked in Concert Square, with one witness claiming that “a large group of young people attending the party defied every imaginable social distancing rule.”
As of midnight, the Liverpool city region is subject to the strictest coronavirus restrictions in the country, meaning bars and pubs will have to close if they cannot function as restaurants.
Liverpool residents enjoy one last night of partying before Level 3 restrictions take effect
Residents are also prohibited from socializing with other households, both indoors and in private gardens.
Currently, the Liverpool city region is the only area that falls under the “very high” alert level, but Sky News understands that a meeting of the “golden command” will be held to decide whether the Greater Manchester and Lancashire vicinity should also fall into this category.
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Liverpool recorded 3,164 new COVID-19 cases in the seven days to October 10, the equivalent of 635.3 cases per 100,000 people. This compares to 555 in the seven days through October 3.
Hundreds of pubs will now have to close across the city, and level 3 also means that households won’t be able to mix indoors or outdoors.
Some places are angry that the hospitality sector is blamed for the increase in coronavirus cases
Witness: “People seem resigned to more restrictions in their daily life”
By Alex Rossi, News Correspondent
Liverpool’s last night before pubs and bars closed was mostly a moderate affair.
The streets were largely silent and many places were barely full.
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At Dead Crafty Beer Company, a 15-minute walk from Concert Square, the last orders were called at 9.15 p.m. As the bell rang, customers seemed resigned to more restrictions in their daily lives.
The owner, Gareth Morgan, told me that he will sell beer online to keep going, but he has no illusions that it will be a rough few months, and he is frustrated by what the government is doing.
He told Sky News: “It feels like we’re being thrown onto the pavement. There is no evidence to support that hospitality is causing this massive increase that has occurred in Liverpool. I do not deny the increase.
“There is a massive influx of students, we are a massive college town, all the offices are back up, the schools are back – and hospitality, it’s been trading for two and a half months without a huge increase, now it’s blaming itself.”
The regulations that come into force will not only affect the hospitality sector. Gyms, gambling shops, and casinos will also close, and people won’t be able to socialize outside of their home anywhere indoors or out.
The government says restrictions in Liverpool are necessary to reduce the R number: the infection rate.
Deaths in Liverpool have doubled in the last week and hospital admissions are increasing all the time.
The virus is on the rise and, worryingly, public health officials say the virus is still in the growth phase.
But Westminster is a long way from here, and many people are angry with the way the rules have been made.
Independent gym owners also say the closings are not based on evidence, and that closing them will harm people’s physical and mental well-being, as well as bankrupt viable businesses.
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Nick Whitcombe of Body Tech Fitness said he will challenge the new restrictions and keep his doors open.
He added: “What we see is that you have the value of the fine versus the cost of losing the entire business. This is fight or flight, we have no choice here. This is not a case of if we close, we lose some money. We close with the financial package that is on the table, we will go out of business. This is our only option. We have no other option, is to pay the fine or lose absolutely everything. “
The measurements can be reviewed within four weeks, but the future here is far from certain.
And the question is whether other areas will soon join this city in the hardest lockdown category in the coming days.
