Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

Nottingham's coronavirus infection rate has risen again to 880 cases per 100,000 in the week up to 10 October.

It remains the highest rate in England, according to the latest figures.

Image source, PA Media

The rate is up from 834.2 up to 9 October and a large jump from 510.6 the previous week.

It is also still significantly higher than the area with the second highest rate, Knowsley, which is now on 667.4 cases per 100,000.

The only place with a greater rate in the UK is the Derry City and Strabane council area in Northern Ireland, which has a Covid infection rate of 970 per 100,000.

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Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

Businesses in "tier two" areas facing tighter coronavirus restrictions, like Nottinghamshire need more financial support, the city council has said.

On Monday it was confirmed the county - along with the city - will be placed on the "high" Covid-19 alert level, meaning different households can no longer mix indoors with the rule of six applying outdoors.

Nottingham City Council leader, David Mellen, has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to underline the impact this will have.

Image source, PA Media

Mr Mellen said: "Without a specific package of business support for tier two areas I fear that many good businesses will go under and the consequence of this would be more job losses and more empty business premises."

He urged Mr Sunak to create a "Business Survival Grant" to help those businesses most affected by additional Covid restrictions.

Last night Mr Sunak announced a Winter Economy Plan which included a jobs support scheme, grants for businesses forced to close and £1bn in extra support for local authorities.

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Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

Vandals who damaged four trees and play equipment in a Derbyshire park are being sought by police.

The newly planted trees in Maurice Lea Park, Church Gresley, were snapped in half on Saturday night.

Image source, Derbyshire Police

The next evening a fire was started under table tennis tables.

Swadlincote police said on Facebook: "Officers are viewing CCTV footage from the park which shows the incidents happen, so expect a knock on your door soon, because it will happen."

Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

A new walk-through coronavirus testing facility has opened in Nottingham.

The site, at Nottingham Trent University's Clifton Campus car park, is only for those who have Covid-19 symptoms.

Anyone with one or more of a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste is asked to book a test, external.

Officials said the site is easily accessible without a car but said those attending should not travel by taxi or public transport.

Advice on safe ways of getting to the site and about additional support available to vulnerable groups will be given when appointments are made.

It comes as the city remains the highest in the country for coronavirus infection rates, at 834.2 per 100,000 people.

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Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Leicester's move from having its own tailored restrictions to being part of "tier two" alongside numerous other areas has led to subtle changes in the rules for residents.

It means households can now meet with people from other households in outdoor public spaces as long as there are no more than six people present.

And, in a relaxation of a previous rule, people can meet in gardens subject to the "rule of six".

Image source, PA Media

However, people from different households will not be allowed to mix indoors in private homes, pubs or restaurants, unless they're from the same support or childcare bubble.

Ivan Browne, director of public health for Leicester, told BBC Radio Leicester: "I suppose what it's done is it's firmed up from a legislative point of view the enforcement of household mixing and the things we were seeing previously."

The latest restrictions are set to come into force from tomorrow.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

A woman in her 70s has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after she was hit by a lorry outside a supermarket in Nottingham this morning.

Police said the crash happened in the car park of the Co-Op in Farnborough Road at about 09:30.

Image source, Google

The road is currently shut between Southchurch Drive and Orford Avenue. The store is also closed, police added.

Nottinghamshire Police have appealed for anyone who saw what happened to contact them on 101.

BBC Radio Leicester

About 60 people connected to Leicester Riders basketball club - including players and officials - are self-isolating after a number of positive tests were recorded.

The Riders had to cancel their fixture last Friday because of the outbreak.

Players at different levels throughout the club are operating in a series of bubbles - many of which are now locked down.

Managing director Russell Levenston said everyone who has tested positive has had "fairly mild symptoms", but it instigated the bubbles as a "precaution".

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Newark MP Robert Jenrick has said it was right that the whole of Nottinghamshire has been put into the "tier two" category.

Nottingham has the country's highest infection of 834.2 per 100,000 people but avoided the toughest level of measures, and joined the county in being placed on "high" alert.

The housing secretary said the county was one functioning economic area.

Image source, PA Media

"The city has a particular challenge - as a number of others do - with universities," he said.

"There's a high number of cases at the two universities so further action's being taken there.

"But it was decided - and I think this is the right judgement as a local MP - that it would be a false choice to have different measures in Nottingham to those in the county because my constituents go into the city to work, go to hospital, go to school."

BBC Radio Derby

A small part of the High Peak will be placed under "tier two" measures from tomorrow.

It'll affect the Glossopdale area with an SK13 postcode, covering Glossop, Hadfield, Padfield, Tintwistle and others.

Dean Wallace, Derbyshire County Council's director of public health, said other parts of the county could also face tougher restrictions in the weeks to come.

Image source, Getty Images

"We've seen other parts of the county double in rate in less than a week," he said.

"We have serious concerns about areas around north-east Derbyshire, Chesterfield, some parts of Bolsover and Erewash.

"We're currently having discussions around those areas where further measures might be required."

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

The government has now published its guidance, external for areas with a "high" local Covid alert level.

This applies to Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Glossopdale, Leicester and Oadby and Wigston.

Image source, Reuters

In addition to national coronavirus rules, people in those areas are not allowed to socialise with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting.

But unlike places in the "very high" category - which only includes Liverpool at the moment - bars and restaurants are allowed to remain open.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, said he believed the reason Nottinghamshire had not been subjected to the toughest Covid-19 restrictions despite its high infection rate was down to the age profile of confirmed cases.

He told BBC Radio Nottingham: "At the moment we know there's a lot of virus circulating in relatively young people and that's why we don't see as many problems in the hospitals.

"We know people when they're younger generally suffer a mild infection - very often it's asymptomatic - so as long as we can keep it from the more vulnerable then we hope we wouldn't slip into the higher tier."

He was also asked about reports the government's scientific advisers had recommended a short lockdown last month.

"Unfortunately the government didn't heed that advice," he said.

"Whether or not that would have been early enough is debatable. The 21 September isn't that long ago."

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Nottinghamshire County Council leader Kay Cutts has said the decision to place the whole county in "tier two" of the government's new three-tier alert system was the right one.

Some had suggested only Nottingham city should be subject to the tighter restrictions as its infection rate was far higher than county areas.

But city council leader David Mellen said the number of patients in Nottingham's hospitals coupled with the vast proportion of cases being accounted for by young people were two reasons the city did not get put on the toughest alert level.

Image source, Nottinghamshire Police

Conservative Ms Cutts said: "We [local leaders] decided between ourselves - and that includes the leader of the city council - we'd rather be together because policing it otherwise would be very, very difficult.

"I know we have the support of the Chief Constable Craig Guildford in this. His opinion is to try and police it differently would make his job extremely difficult."

BBC Weather Watchers

This was the scene in Beeley, Derbyshire, as Tuesday morning arrived.

Today we're expecting a dry and sunny morning followed by showers this afternoon and cool conditions.

Image source, AbbeyDale

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

Three Nottingham Labour MPs have welcomed tighter coronavirus rules for the city despite the "delay" in introducing them.

In a joint statement, external, Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East and Alex Norris, MP for Nottingham North, said the city needed "immediate action" after the recent spike in cases but instead received "confusion, incompetence and delay".

The MPs added during a briefing earlier, they did not get a "credible" reply from the government when they asked why there was a delay in announcing restrictions for the area.

However, they "welcomed" the new measures but said they "must be accompanied with providing people with the financial security they need to follow the rules".

Image source, Labour Party/Getty Images/UK Parliament

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

The government has sought to explain why Nottingham avoided the toughest level of coronavirus restrictions despite having the country's highest infection rate.

Nottingham's infection rate in the week up to 9 October stands at 834.2 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than the area with the second highest rate, Knowsley, which is now on 656.9 cases per 100,000.

The city has had the country's highest infection rate for a number of days but, along with the county, it has been put under "tier two" restrictions and placed on "high" alert under the government's new three-tier system.

City council leader David Mellen said the number of patients in Nottingham's hospitals and young people accounting for a high proportion of cases were two reasons the city had not been put into "tier three".

Now, in a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care has said the rate of infection is "only one of a set of considerations" in decision-making.

"Decisions are made in close consultation with local leaders and public health experts, informed by the latest evidence," a spokesperson said.

"While we recognise how much of an imposition these measures are, they are based on the latest scientific evidence in order to suppress the virus and protect us all while doing everything possible to support the economy."