Covid-19: Peterborough moving to tougher tier 3 after cases rise

Peterborough has the highest rate in Cambridgeshire, with 297 cases per 100,000 people

Peterborough is to go into the tougher tier three Covid restrictions from 00:01 GMT on Saturday.

It had been in tier two since the last national lockdown was eased. The rest of Cambridgeshire remains in tier two.

The government announced the changes due to a sharp spike in cases in the city.

Peterborough has one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in England, with 297 cases per 100,000 of the population.

The rate in Huntingdonshire is 80 per 100,000, making it in the bottom 10% in the country

The rest of Cambridgeshire has relatively low infection rates but cases are still rising.

The table below shows how many people have died from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

In tier three, the latest restrictions mean households must not mix indoors or outdoors in hospitality venues or private gardens, and the rule of six applies in outdoor public spaces.

As well as the closure of pubs and restaurants, except for takeaways, indoor entertainment venues must shut and no fans will be allowed in sport stadiums.

Andy Simmons, landlord of the Ploughman in the Werrington area of Peterborough, said he was "distraught" at the news.

"For small, independent businesses like mine, trying to scrape a living, following all the government rules, this is a devastating blow," he said.

The manager of the city's Bluebell Inn, Lesley Newitt, outlined the knock-on effect of the move to tier three.

She said: "We'll offer takeaways for those who booked meals, but we'll have to tell suppliers who would have delivered our Christmas drinks that we can't sell them.

"The sales in November and December normally take us through the quieter times of the year."

Landlord Andy Simmons said his business had jumped through hoops to follow government guidelines

The Cresset theatre tweeted it was "obviously devastated" to cancel rest of its pantomime run, but it plans to offer an online stream of a performance for people to watch.

The city's MP, Paul Bristow, said he was "not going to pretend it's a good day for Peterborough".

"The answer is we need to follow the rules, limit interaction with other people and get cases down," he added.

James Palmer, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, said it would continue to "signpost and support business via its growth hub".

He added the rest of the county had not been "let off" but must "continue to be vigilant and follow guidance".