At the end of the second national lockdown Cheshire East will be placed back into the government's Covid alert level 'high' also known as 'tier two' from Wednesday 2 December.
Through new tier two restrictions, pubs and restaurants in Cheshire East can open and serve alcohol as part of a substantial meal. Last orders will be at 10pm, with venues closing at 11pm. However, residents must only visit pubs and restaurants with members of their own household or support bubble.
People in Cheshire East must not socialise indoors with anybody from outside their household or support bubble. This applies, for example, to going inside at a friend's or family member's house or meeting people from outside your household in an indoor public space.
'The rule of six' applies in outdoor spaces. This means that people from different households can meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in private gardens and alfresco dining, or other spaces such as parks. However, 'the rule of six' does not replace the need for social distancing.
In tier two, business events and spectator sports will be able to resume outside and inside, with social distancing and capacity limits.
Leader of the Council (Councillor Sam Corcoran) and Deputy Leader (Councillor Craig Browne) issued a joint statement welcoming the news, saying: "We saw worryingly high rates of infection in Cheshire East. Our rates peaked at more than 250 cases per 100,000 people in Mid-November. Through positive action by residents and the knock-on effects of a national lockdown, rates are now steadily decreasing with today's rate of infection being 127 cases per 100,000 people.
"We would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard and sacrificed so much to fight Covid-19. Rates are slowly coming down but not quick enough, there is still more work to do but without your positive action we would be in a much worse situation now.
"Being in tier two also allows us to reopen our libraries and leisure centres from 2 December, which are a lifeline for many residents. Please keep up to date with new opening times, which allow for additional cleaning and quarantining of stock, information is available on our website at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk
"We know winter is here but it's important for our mental health that we have regular check-ins with extended family members and friends. So, why not wrap up warm and enjoy a winter walk, keeping a two-metre distance between you."
Regardless of the tier, the following rules will apply to all areas of the country:
● Shops, gyms and personal care services will all reopen;
● Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports will resume;
● People will no longer be limited to seeing one other person outdoors;
● The rule of six will apply in outdoor public spaces and;
● Non-essential foreign travel allowed, subject to quarantine rules
For full details about the measures that apply in high-alert level areas, including Cheshire East, visit the government's website.
The government will review which areas are in which tiers every 14 days.
Comments
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As an example, neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands has registered 100 deaths, Cheshire West & Chester has 470, Derbyshire Dales has 95 and Flintshire 175.
Generally speaking, our infection rate per 100k of population has been around or below the average for the country, so why have we experienced such poor "outcomes" in this area?
Sadly it's down to the number of care homes in the area, more than population density.
The stats are very clear they the majority of people who are passing away are over 85s and the next biggest group is over 75s
These are the stats that are the most important
The media will play upon single cases of younger people passing away - but usually, there is an underlying condition that is the factor
Let that sink in, how many jobs and businesses have gone? Yes each death is a massive sadness, but ruining millions of lives for 4500 deaths?
I would also argue that most people over 40 have some degree of underlying health issue, it shouldn't mean that they can't expect to live out their life as normal either rather than just being another 'sad' statistic.
Since then most deaths have been in the care home sector or within the NHS hospitals - 25% get the infection in hospital having been admitted for some other reason.
Roll on the independent investigation and human rights court cases.
"the undeniable fact is that the NHS has been overrun with this disease for nearly a year"
Where is that "undeniable fact" from? Very busy from March to June then twiddling their thumbs, sat at home "isolating" etc from July to September. And December 2019 to February 2020 busy, as every year, with the now eliminated ordinary flu not "this disease"!!
Our two esteemed council leaders still don't understand the useless PCR test does not give any indication of "infections".
I'll give you a FACT. Rishi has stuffed the economy, sacrificed jobs and businesses and the hopes of the under 30s AND borrowed £400 BILLION. £6million per death.
And I'm not usually one for CAPITALS!!!
Friends live in South Manchester, aTier 3 zone. They were informed this week by their local gym (I think it maybe David Lloyd's in Cheadle, a Tier 3 area) that the gym was closed. Unfortunately (that may not be the correct word in these stressful times) they have membership with Total Fitness at Handforth i.e.Tier 2 along with the rest of Cheshire East. What do they do? Hop along to Total Fitness taking their possible Corvid infections with them from T3.
Do the Total Fitness management examine visiting visitors' credentials? Home addresses etc? No. T.F. claim it is not their position to ask people if they are cheating, putting locals health at risk? No, it claims it is not the company's responsibility? It greedily accepts membership or entrance fees without asking the necessary questions before allowing people in. The companies need to face-up to their moral and communal obligations. People from T2 may-well visit Handforth's gym in the belief they are safe, everyone there is from T2. They are not and it is not "all safe and good".
Cheshire Police was going to visit and check all visitors were from T2; so are Trading Standards and our M.P. is asking questions.
This anti-social contagion must stop. It is not only about the money/cash tills ringing etc.Retail business including gyms have a moral and social obligation and they need to be reminded of it or pay the price(£s) to protect us all.
At the sane time Mr & Mrs Joe Public have got to stop cheating the system for their own short-sighted greed and gain benefit, they need to be reminded force-ably if necessary, of their very own communal and societal obligations.
Keep Safe.
That takes stupid post of the year.
Time to mitigate and live our lives.