Covid-19: Buckinghamshire 'major incident' over Covid cases

Stoke Mandeville Hospital is one of the hospitals run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

A major incident has been declared in Buckinghamshire amid fears the number of Covid-19 cases could overwhelm the county's health services.

It comes as the government announced the county, along with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, would remain under the highest tier four restrictions.

Buckinghamshire Council leader Martin Tett said case rates could increase to 800 per 100,000 people "by next week".

He said the increase was due to the new Covid-19 variant.

Mr Tett said a 60% rise in cases in the over-60s was "putting our health and social care services under very severe pressure".

He added: "Whilst today's announcement about the approval of the Oxford vaccine is excellent news, we still need to deal with the deteriorating situation we face immediately."

Neil Macdonald, from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments would be postponed or delayed.

"But urgent operations, including cancer, will continue as planned," he added.

Primary schools in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, would no longer open next month as planned

In Buckinghamshire, the district of Milton Keynes' primary schools will remain closed temporarily, as they will in the Hertfordshire districts of Watford, Broxbourne, Hertsmere and Three Rivers.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said those primary schools affected would reopen "as soon as possible".

Secondary schools across England will remain shut for an extra two weeks, except for exam-year pupils who return in the week of 11 January.

Mr Williamson said temporary shutdowns would cut chains of transmission.

But Peter Marland, Labour leader of Milton Keynes Council, tweeted that "the government haven't bothered to advise the actual local authorities" whose primary schools would not reopen to all pupils on 4 January.

He said the authority had "not been given any information at all".

"It is a disgrace," he added.

Councillor Terry Douris, cabinet member for education at Hertfordshire County Council, said he recognised "disruption to education causes difficulties".

He said the authority was working for schools in the affected districts so vulnerable children and children of critical workers could "attend school in some capacity".

Luton now has a higher case rate than the England-wide average

In Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, the areas recording the biggest week-on-week increases for the seven days to 25 December were Hertsmere and Watford in Hertfordshire.

Hertsmere rose from 598.6 per 100,000 to 864.5, with 907 new cases, while Watford went up from 505.3 to 770.4 per 100,000, with 744 new cases.

Tier four was imposed on 20 December.

Tier four means all non-essential shops must close, along with hairdressers, gyms and leisure centres.

Hundreds of Buckinghamshire residents have signed a petition demanding that schools remain closed in tier four areas to curb the spread of coronavirus.

What are the restrictions in tier four?

The restrictions are similar to the last national lockdown and include:

• Residents should stay at home, unless they have a "reasonable excuse" such as work or education

• All non-essential shops must close

• Hairdressers and nail bars must close

• Indoor entertainment venues must close

• Gyms and indoor swimming pools, indoor sports courts and dance studios must close

• You cannot meet other people indoors, unless you live with them or they are part of your support bubble

• People should not leave tier four areas or travel abroad, except for limited reasons (including work and education)

• Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are only allowed in exceptional circumstances

What can you do in tier four?

Activities still allowed include:

• Meeting one other person from another household in an open public space, if you are both alone

• Shopping for essentials such as food and medicine

• Outdoor pools, playgrounds, sports courts, golf courses and horse-riding centres can remain open

• You can leave home for work, education, training, childcare and for medical appointments and emergencies

• Communal religious worship

• Support bubbles are still allowed and children can move between separated parents

Source: BBC News tiers explainer

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