Leicester ‘not out of the woods’ despite partial easing of local lockdown rules

NHS Test and Trace chief warns infection rate in Leicester is 'still very high' three weeks after a local lockdown was rolled out on July 4
Leicester's local lockdown will remain in place until at least August 1
PA
David Child24 July 2020

Schools and non-essential shops were due to reopen today in parts of Leicester, three weeks after the city was plunged back into lockdown amid a surge in local coronavirus cases.

Some measures were set to be eased on Friday in Leicester City and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston after an earlier easing of restrictions on the city's outskirts, but bars restaurants and hairdressers will remain closed.

The move came as the head of the NHS' Test and Trace system warned the area was not “completely out of the woods” after the city’s lockdown was imposed on July 4.

Baroness Harding said while it was an “encouraging sign” the infection rate in Leicester was beginning to fall “it’s still very high”.

She told the BBC: “One of the challenges with Covid is that it takes 14 days from the time we have taken action to be really confident that that action is making a difference.

“The encouraging sign in Leicester is that the infection rate is starting to go down but it’s still very high.

“I don’t think that Leicester is completely out of the woods yet and it’s really important that anyone living in Leicester comes forward for a test – if they are in any doubt they should come forward for a test.”

Leicester's local lockdown will remain in place until at least August 1.

Coronavirus: Face coverings become mandatory in shops

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All but essential travel in to, out of and within the city is still not allowed and the Government has said shielding must continue in all areas.

But a recent easing of some measures saw non-essential shops, bars, restaurants and hairdressers permitted to reopen in Blaby and Charnwood on July 18.

The moves came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week that councils across England would be given powers to close specific premises, shut public outdoor spaces, and cancel events where necessary, in a move welcomed by the Local Government Association as one that would help prevent local lockdowns.

Leicester’s mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has been critical of the Government, saying it took a “sledgehammer approach” to the city's lockdown and that data provided to city officials highlighted only 10 per cent of Leicester had shown higher transmission rates.

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