Cheshire East is to move into Covid-19 alert tier 4 – 'Stay at Home" from one minute past midnight, in the early hours of Thursday 31st December.
The key changes will mean:
- You must not leave or be outside of your home or garden except where you have a 'reasonable excuse', such as for work, education, medical reasons and exercise;
- People who are clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to shield;
- Non-essential shops must close;Hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons must close; and
- Leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres, gyms and indoor swimming pools must close.
Visit the government website for full details of tier 4 restrictions
Responding to the government's decision to move Cheshire East into tier 4, Councillor Sam Corcoran, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "I implore all residents and businesses in Cheshire East to adhere to the government's tier 4 restrictions without exception. We will be working with partners to support people with these changes but will not hesitate to enforce the regulations where necessary.
"It is also vital that we all continue to observe the basics of hands, face, space. Remember, the virus spreads through droplets breathed out by an infected person. If we do the right thing and keep our distance, we cannot spread the infection.
"At this stage we do not know how long we will be subject to tier 4 restrictions, but, as previously announced by government, we anticipate a review in two weeks' time."
Councillor Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council, added: "This change will have a significant impact on local businesses, and we will be doing everything within our power and resources to support them.
"We are also reviewing the impact on council services and how we deliver them. Some services, such as leisure centres and libraries will close, however there may be circumstances where some of these facilities can open for specific activities, such as job clubs. We will review all services to ensure that we can deliver them safely.
Dr Matt Tyrer, Cheshire East Council's director of public health, said: "We are now seeing infection rates in Cheshire East of more than 200 cases per 100,000 people over seven days. This is a significant increase from the numbers we were seeing just a few days ago when we moved to tier 3.
"We have heard today that a second kind of vaccine has been approved for use in UK. This is great news, but our optimism must be tempered by a determination to stick to the basics – don't forget 'hands, face, space' and you must make sure that if you have symptoms, you self-isolate and get a test. Self-isolating means that you do not leave your home for any reason, other then to get a test or in the case of emergency."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Lockdowns brought the infection rate down, which in turn reduced the number of hospital admissions and deaths.
The problem is lack of adherence on the part of the hard of thinking.
Give up your pension and scratch around for work like many youngsters will be doing just to survive when fulough ends and see how your attitide changes Alan.
As Alan said: "I’m afraid that clear evidence proves you wrong".
You however are incapable of rational and balanced argument.
Alan lockdowns can never work unless they are total. The sheer number of people who have exemption prevents it. In the meantime we have fractured the economy. Not treated any other disease but Covid-19. The suicide rate has increased dramatically. Thousands are incapable of paying their rent or mortgage. Businesses and jobs gone. The test and trace method is not fit for purpose. Government has mismanaged from the beginning right through to the shambolic vaccine roll out. There is so much evidence out there other than the propaganda we are being fed use your keyboards and seek it out.
I like to think of all the front line health workers with reservations about possible treatments!!!!