People in the Northeast are waiting to see if the Kovid restrictions here will be eased before Christmas.
The government is reviewing the coronavirus ban tire system in England today, with all parts of the North East currently sitting in the ‘very high’ Tier 3 warning category.
Council leaders from Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham and the T Valley area met on Friday with government officials and local government secretary Robert Genrick to discuss the tire system.
And local council sources said that despite a significant drop in infection rates in most parts of the Northeast over the past few weeks, they do not expect the area to be allowed to go down to Tier 2.
Being in Tier 3 means that pubs, bars and restaurants will have to be closed, just like entertainment venues like cinemas and theaters. Even football fans will not be allowed to return to the stadium if the North East remains under tough cowardly measures.
When will it be announced?
While the tires are being reviewed today, the government is not expected to announce whether the areas have gone up or down by Thursday – although sources said lawmakers could be briefed on decisions affecting their constituencies at some point on Wednesday.
Any changes will take effect on Saturday, December 19, but will only apply for a few days until the Christmas bubble rules begin on December 23.
After the five-day Christmas relaxation is completed, the tire system will return on December 28th.
London and other parts of the South East have entered Tier 3 today after a large increase in cases.
The government has also faced calls from experts to rescind the five-day waiver in the Covid ban on Christmas, with warnings by two leading medical journals that it would “cost the lives of many.”
What is the latest rate of infection?
According to data published by Newcastle City Council, the infection rate in the Northeast now stands at 159 new weekly cases per 100,000 people – a slight increase in recent days but below the national average of 193.
On November 26, the day the North East was placed in Tier 3, the region’s infection rate was 254 per 100,000.
South Tyneside has the highest infection rate ever, while Gateshead has the lowest.
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Here is the latest list of infection rates and weekly case numbers, calculated by the PA News Agency based on data from Public Health England.
From left to right, it reads: the name of the local right; Rate of new cases in seven days from December 11; Number of new cases reported in seven days from 11 December (in parentheses); Rate of new cases in seven days from December 4; Number of new cases registered in seven days from December 4 (in parentheses).
- South Tyneside, 306.7, (463), 206.0, (311)
- Northumberland, 163.4, (527), 161.3, (520)
- County Durham, 153.6, (814), 147.0, (779)
- Sunderland, 148.7, (413), 166.7, (463)
- Newcastle on Tyne, 133.7, (405), 121.5, (368)
- North Tyneside, 124.6, (259), 147.2, (306)
- Gateshead, 92.5, (187), 96.5, (195)
The Department of Health said decisions on tire levels depend on a number of factors – including how fast case investigations are rising or falling, especially in the 60’s, and the pressure on NHS services.
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