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Large groups of costumed youth drank alcohol and chanted near police vehicles on the streets of Nottingham last night, hours before the toughest coronavirus restrictions were imposed in the city.
The meetings came despite police warning that they “would not hesitate” to fine those who deliberately disobey the rules.
Nottingham officially moved to Level 3 at 12:01 a.m. today, and the new rules will include a ban on buying alcohol in stores after 9 p.m.
A police officer moves over the crowd after pubs and bars close
Some groups were seen singing near police vehicles.
Some of the youth appeared to be celebrating Halloween two days earlier. Some police vehicles were present in the city center, as well as an ambulance.
Earlier Thursday, Deputy Chief of Police Kate Meynell said: “Unfortunately, there have been a minority of people who think the legislation does not apply to them and we have been forced to take action and, in some cases, impose fines.
“In the last week we have awarded fines of £ 10,000 to four people who organized parties with more than 30 people present, as well as numerous fines of £ 200 to people who broke the law without reason.”
He added that people who break the rules “without regard to the impact their actions have on families and key front-line workers” will be fined.
Nottinghamshire County Council Leader Kay Cutts said a 9pm alcohol ban had been called for to prevent students from feasting.
She told reporters: “That is something that has been affecting Nottinghamshire a little bit … younger people never think they are going to catch anything.”
The youth, some in costume, appeared to be celebrating Halloween early
Several police cars and an ambulance were present in the city center.
Similar scenes they were seen on the streets of Liverpool the night before the Level 3 restrictions were imposed in mid-October.
After images of large crowds in Concert Square circulated on social media, intensive care doctors told Sky News they were “disgusted” by what had happened, adding: “They don’t care that people are dying from this disease is from the heart … breaking to look “.
Nottinghamshire’s director of public health, Jonathan Gribbin, has said that the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the county is now 40% higher than the peak of the first wave in April.
He warned that “even a well-organized NHS and care system will struggle to cope” with the sharp increase in patients.
As of October 27, 361 beds across the county were occupied by people suffering from COVID-19, but this increased to 413 just a day later.
“I think it immediately gives you an indication of how fast it is increasing,” he said.
Several cancer operations have had to be postponed in Nottinghamshire due to “pressure on intensive care units”.
With Nottinghamshire entering Level 3, and West Yorkshire set to do the same on Monday, 11 million will now live at the highest level of coronavirus restrictions. That is 19.6% of the population.
Tees Valley and the West Midlands could also move to level 3, meaning millions more could soon be under the strictest level of lockdown in England.
Meanwhile, NHS England data shows that the number of beds occupied by confirmed coronavirus patients has more than doubled in two weeks, from 4,105 on October 13 to 8,595 on Tuesday.
There were also 743 COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation beds on Tuesday, up from 560 the week before.
The NHS Test and Trace system has also recorded its highest weekly number of positive cases, while a study from Imperial College London has found that nearly 100,000 people contract COVID-19 on a daily basis.
With France entering a second lockdown starting today, and Germany imposing a four-week partial lockdown, the UK government is under pressure to take a more national approach to addressing rising infection rates.
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Interior Minister Priti Patel has said the government has ruled out nothing.
On Thursday, government figures showed that there have been 23,065 more laboratory confirmed cases in the UK, and another 280 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19.
The Department of Health and Welfare also said more than a dozen regions will move from the lowest level of restrictions to the middle on Saturday.
These include the East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston-upon-Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Dudley, Staffordshire, Telford, Wrekin, Amber Valley, Bolsaver, Derbyshire Dales, Derby City, South Derbyshire, all of High Peak, Charnwood, Luton and Oxford
