Covid-19: Stoke-on-Trent will move to tier 2 over Covid rise

Stoke-on-Trent will be under new restrictions from Saturday

Stoke-on-Trent will move into tier two in a bid to tackle a "concerning increase" in coronavirus cases, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.

He said the city will be joined by Coventry and Slough, which local leaders had earlier revealed would also move into those stricter measures.

People living in the "high" risk areas will no longer be able to mix with other households indoors from Saturday.

Mr Hancock said "cases are doubling around every fortnight".

"In all of these areas, there are over 100 positive cases per 100,000 people," he said, adding: "We're seeing a concerning increase of cases among the over-60s."

Stoke-on-Trent City Council reported a "sharp increase" in coronavirus cases over the past five days

In Stoke-on-Trent, the number of new cases rose to 210.2 per 100,000 people between 13 and 19 October and 94 people with Covid-19 are being treated in the city's hospitals.

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The leader of the city council, Abi Brown, said: "Taking this approach now will limit the damage to our local economy of a potential future move to the 'very high' category.

"I'm not willing to put the lives of Stoke-on-Trent residents at risk by dithering for a week when we can act now to save lives and minimise economic damage."

The new restrictions will mean different households will no longer be able to mix socially at any indoor venue including homes, pubs and restaurants unless they are have formed a social bubble.

Socialising outdoors is still permitted, however people must not meet in groups of more than six, and a 22:00 BST curfew on all pubs, bars and restaurants remains in place.

Hospitals run by the University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust are treating 94 patients with Covid-19 at the moment, compared with just seven in the previous fortnight.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has today unveiled increased support for jobs and workers that have been hit hard by tier two restrictions.

The announcement involves changes to the Job Support Scheme (JSS) meaning employers can pay less and staff can work fewer hours before they qualify.

Stoke-on-Trent's director of adult social care and health, Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, said analysis showed the virus was being transmitted from household to household.

Council leaders in Stoke-on-Trent had asked the government for stricter measures before the announcement

And he added "Our data suggests that too many people with symptoms are not staying at home when they should be."

In Slough, Labour MP Tan Dhesi said there had been an "alarming rapid rise" in local coronavirus cases and likewise in Coventry council leaders said the move to tier two had seemed "inevitable".

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