Alex Regan
BBC News

The government's most recent tier three restrictions in Nottingham have been described as a "compromise" by a leading virologist.

He said during the lockdown in March "'we think we implemented very strict social distancing measures, that meant lots of non-essential shops closed, we were told not to travel, we were told to stay as home as much as possible, and then the virus was brought under control but with that comes a huge amount of cost".

He added: "At the moment what the government's trying to do is control the virus where there are hotspots, while trying to maintain some form of economic activity, and try to make people feel they have some form of wellbeing.

"It's all a compromise."

Alex Regan
BBC News

Rushcliffe Borough Council leader Simon Robinson says he is "happy" with the government funding his area will receive, after news the borough will enter tier three restrictions.

Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham, the Conservative councillor said: "We negotiated a financial package last week - it’s a formula based on population.

"Ultimately it’s never going to be enough, whatever they give us people are going to say it’s not enough.

"But I’m happy."

Image source, Rushcliffe Borough Council

Mr Robinson explained that the council would receive about £8 per head for enforcing the guidelines, and running track and trace programmes in the area, and then an extra £20 per head which would be used to aid struggling businesses.

Mr Robinson also said people from Rushcliffe should not travel to Newark - which remains in tier two - to shop.

"It’s absolutely discouraged, it is against government guidance to travel outside a tier three area," he said.

Alex Regan
BBC News

Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen said it is difficult to tell whether the city and surrounding areas have been given the financial support they need.

Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, the councillor said all areas that have gone into tier three were given a "flat rate".

He said: "I think we have additional responsibilities of running a big city, and the city centre in particular has additional needs.

"I'm not sure that all of that will be covered in what we've been promised from the government."

He added that the costs of Covid-19 during the first lockdown "were not properly met as was promised", meaning budgets were "strained and stretched".

Alex Regan
BBC News

More information about the exact restrictions being imposed on Nottingham and the surrounding areas will be set out today.

In a joint statement, local councils said the measures "have been agreed to achieve a sustained reduction in infection rates" and to "protect our vulnerable residents, the NHS and social care services".

Alex Regan
BBC News

A Nottingham MP has said she will continue to fight for more funding from the government after the city and surrounding areas entered tier three restrictions.

Labour politician Nadia Whittome said the area required a "settlement that properly reflects the needs of our city and my constituents".

Image source, Getty Images

The Nottingham East MP said the news that Nottingham was due to enter tier three restrictions on Thursday was "regrettable" and "totally avoidable had we had a proper track and trace system".

She added: "Nottingham City Council is clear that the government's proposals are not adequate to cover the costs of protecting health, livelihoods and businesses in Nottingham".

She said the government needed to "change its attitude towards Nottingham MPs and get round the table with us".

Some parts of the surrounding county will also face the toughest Covid rules.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

A doctor fears moving into tier three restrictions "may not be enough".

Although the infection rate in Nottingham is falling, the number of hospital admissions has been rising.

Dr Kalindi Tumurogoti, co-deputy chair of the British Medical Association in the East Midlands, said: "This is like sticking plasters. It may not be enough.

"In pre-Covid times a bad flu would knock the NHS to its knees and if you bring Covid into it - it's going to be more uncertain."

He added a national lockdown was needed "more now than in spring" if advised by government medical officers.

David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, has appealed to residents to "work together" and stick to the "very difficult" restrictions.

"We've got a growing number of people, way over 200 people, in our hospitals with Covid, and an increasing number in [intensive care units], so we are concerned about those numbers," he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"Obviously we had many people die in Nottingham [and] Nottinghamshire earlier in the year and we don't want to add to that number with many more deaths as a result of this."

Image source, Nottingham City Council

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that areas under tier three restrictions would have to prove their infection rate was coming down before they could be removed from the strictest measures.

Nottingham's rate of infection has dropped, but it is still the highest in the county. However, according to the latest data, parts of Nottinghamshire are seeing an increase.

Mr Hancock said: "Please remember - now is the time for us all to work together to get this virus under control."

Image source, Getty Images

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

A bar owner in Nottingham said his business was struggling with tier two restrictions and hoped tier three would come with financial support.

Tier three rules mean bars, which do not serve a "substantial meal" will have to close.

Lau Wensink, owner of 31K in Hockley, said although it would be tough to close the bar he hopes funding would allow them to reopen for a "normal Christmas".

"A shutdown until Christmas with the right financial package to make sure we can reopen without any restrictions, for us would be the preferred outcome," he said.

"Not knowing where we're going is extremely difficult to plan for, extremely difficult to manage and the guidelines changing has been incredibly hard.

"I hope this four-week period will be enough, and I hope it puts Nottingham back in a position where we can open as normal to try and save what hospitality Nottingham will have left."

Image source, Google

Hugh Casswell
Political reporter, BBC Radio Nottingham

The geography of different tiers is determined by local authority boundaries, not parliamentary constituencies.

So if your bins are collected by Nottingham City Council or any of Broxtowe, Gedling or Rushcliffe councils - this affects you.

A good example of why this matters is Eastwood: it lies in the Ashfield constituency but it's part of Broxtowe Borough so it'll be in tier three.

Same with Bingham: in Newark constituency but part of Rushcliffe Borough - so tier three as well.

Image source, Google

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

The Labour MP for Nottingham South has criticised the way the government has communicated with local leaders about the new restrictions.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for a response.

David Pittam
BBC News Online

Part of the reason Nottingham's figures have been improving is a dramatic drop in the number of students testing positive.

When the city's cases first started soaring, they were largely clustered in areas where students live.

Now the infection rate is falling substantially in those areas.

The University of Nottingham, which has its own testing programme, has also recorded an 84% fall in cases among staff and students over the last two weeks, to a total of 241.

A spokeswoman said they were making students stick to their households and their testing regime - including two campus walk-in test centres - meaning they have been able to identify cases earlier than would have been the case.

Image source, University of Nottingham

She added: "While the decline may show that our Covid security measures are working, there is no room for complacency and we will continue to work with our partners in public health across the city.

"We would also like to thank our staff who are making tremendous efforts to teach, research and support our students on and off-campus, as well as our 35,000 students, the overwhelming majority of whom are acting responsibly and following the rules."

David Pittam
BBC News Online

Nottingham's rate of infection has dropped but it is increasing in the rest of the county, according to the latest data.

The city had the 24th highest rate of infection per 100,000 people in England, at 443.7, in the week up to the 23 October.

In the previous week it was 677.4.

It is still the highest in the county, but the surrounding boroughs are all seeing an increase.

Gedling's infection rate is now not far behind the city's, having risen from 373.2 to 418.2.

Rushcliffe has also risen, from 359.1 to 393.5.

Broxtowe is up from 310.4 to 342.9.

Image source, Newark and Sherwood District Council

Outside of tier 3

Mansfield has also risen rapidly, from 199.4 to 311.9.

Bassetlaw is up from 178.8 to 304.8.

Ashfield has risen from 211.1 to 302.5.

Newark and Sherwood has seen a slight increase from 174.8 to 178.9.

David Pittam
BBC News Online

The landlord of one of the country's oldest pubs has said he is "very worried" about the future after Nottingham was put on tier three – very high alert.

Jason Weston, who runs Ye Olde Salutation Inn, said they will not have to close because they serve meals, but capacity was already down to 20% of what it was in summer because of the 22:00 curfew.

He said this drop in customers meant it was "almost irrelevant" whether they were allowed to open or not.

Despite this, he is planning to help the pub next door by offering to serve food to their customers too so they can stay open.

He said: "I'm very worried. We're watching the bank balance go down week by week - it's looking very, very dark."

Image source, Ye Olde Salutation Inn

He said he is yet to receive any of the promised financial support for going in to tier two and fears the same will happen with tier three funding.

"The hospitality industry pays billions to the government," he added. "If they do not protect us now we will not be there to help rebuild."

Hugh Casswell
Political reporter, BBC Radio Nottingham

Nottinghamshire has effectively been split in half with north Notts in tier 2 and south Notts in tier 3. You are advised not to travel between the tiers.

At one point, Mansfield's rate was less than a seventh of Nottingham city, but the very fact the talks have gone on as long as they have mean north Notts areas have started catching up.

If you look at the more recent figures, you see Nottingham's rate coming down and the north Notts areas rocketing up, so that gap has really narrowed.

The rate of cases alone is not the sole factor in determining the tiers. If, as it looks, north Notts is just a few weeks behind you can imagine a scenario where all of those areas currently being excluded could be being looked at as well.

Image source, Nottinghamshire Police

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

Tier three is the strictest of the government's coronavirus restrictions.

There are now 7.9 million people in England living under the "very high" alert level.

It means pubs that do not serve substantial meals have to close, and there are further restrictions on households mixing.

Jennifer Harby
BBC News

The leader of Nottingham City Council has said funding the region has received from central government, as it prepares to go into tier three measures, is "not enough".

Councillor David Mellen told BBC Radio Nottingham the area got a similar deal to Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield "which is based on approximately £8 per head of the population for more test and trace and enforcement and around a further £20 per head for support for affected businesses."

He said: "It's not enough. Our experience in Nottingham is that to do what we've got to do in terms of responding to Covid has not been fully supported by the government."

He said that although rates have dropped in the city over the past week, the restrictions were required.

"The rise in cases in Nottingham, which was very dramatic, was largely confined to the 18 to 22-year-old age group and coincided with the universities returning.

"That's now started to drop. Sadly other age groups are now rising. We are concerned about those who are over 65 who are much more likely to get ill. We have more than 200 people in our hospitals with Covid and an increasing number in ICU."

He urged people to abide by the restrictions.

The Department of Health has been contacted for a comment.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

Gedling Borough Council has confirmed the tier three measures will come into force from Thursday.

It said in a joint statement with Nottingham, Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Nottinghamshire councils, the restrictions would expire in 28 days.

Council leaders have said a support package to help businesses and residents affected by the tighter rules has been secured and more details would be announced on Tuesday.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

About 22,000 children, who are eligible for free school meals across Nottinghamshire, will be given funding for food for the two-week half-term break.

Each child will receive £15 a week, costing Nottinghamshire County Council more than £650,000.

The authority said schools will contact the eligible families about how the scheme will work at their individual school next week.

Image source, Nottinghamshire County Council

Philip Owen, chairman of the council's children and young people's committee, said: “We are pleased to have set aside the funding that’s needed to ensure children from some of our poorest families don’t go hungry.

"Appreciating that we’re already halfway through the school holidays, this scheme will be applied retrospectively for both weeks of the half term holiday. This means families are likely to hear about their child’s school’s details next week.

"While this is not a long-term solution, it feels like the right thing to do in these unprecedented and challenging times.”

The council added these children would also receive funding during the Christmas break and would confirm the details closer to the time.