Covid: West Yorkshire tier 3 postponed ahead of national lockdown
- Published
The new tougher national measures are to come into effect on Thursday 5 November
West Yorkshire will not enter tier three restrictions but will instead join the national lockdown on Thursday.
Tier three was due to begin at 00:01 am on Monday for more than two million people in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.
But the national lockdown, announced on Saturday, will supersede this.
In a joint statement, external, council leaders said they were "frustrated and angry about the government's timing, handling and communications".
Residents and businesses were "now having to change their plans once again", they said.
"We have worked hard over the last few days to advocate for the people and businesses of West Yorkshire.
"It is imperative that government now honours the financial commitments made to the people and businesses of the region during these discussions in writing again now.
"We received verbal assurances this evening that support packages will be provided, but await written confirmation from government".
West Yorkshire is currently in tier two, high alert.
Bradford has the highest rate of coronavirus infections in the county, 494.3 per 100,00 in the seven days up to and including 25 October.
The rates in the other four areas are all in excess of 400 per 100,000.
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The new tougher national measures, external are to come into effect on Thursday and will last at least until 2 December.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to deliver a statement in the Commons on Monday.
MPs will vote on the latest restrictions on Wednesday, and Labour has indicated it will back the lockdown.
Analysis - James Vincent, BBC Yorkshire political editor
We were just getting used to the tiers. Now more tears.
West Yorkshire was braced for tier three - South Yorkshire was just getting to grips with it.
Businesses and their workers will have been working flat out to sort out what they could and could not do. Now many will just have to shut down for a month.
Those in on the talks for West Yorkshire's tier three move say they were assured that a national lockdown was not coming. It came two days later.
West Yorkshire was promised £59m when it entered tier three; it is checking with the government whether it will still get it, or not.
Furlough is back and will be welcomed. Labour here is critical of the government for not offering it to tier three places in the first place. Now the whole country is in lockdown it will be extended.
The prime minister says he had to act now.
It is going to be a tough month. It has been a tough year.
Under the new restrictions people will be told to stay at home except for specific reasons such as work, childcare, education, medical appointments and essential shopping.
Tony Padgett, who owns the Black Horse pub in Wakefield, said: "We are ordering stock one day for next week to be told that we are not going to be open next week.
"Last time this happened, the big lockdown, we tipped away thousand of pounds worth of beer. We just can't do that again."
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- Published1 November 2020
- Published1 July 2022
