23/11/2020 - Permalink

Coronavirus: Council reaction to post-Lockdown measures announced by the Government

Related topics: Coronavirus / Health

Shropshire Council has urged residents to continue to be vigilant and stay safe after the Government announced the return of the three-tiered regional measures next month.

From 00.01 on Wednesday 2 December 2020, Lockdown restrictions will be replaced with a return to the three-tier system. Measures will include:

On 2 December, across all of England, regardless of tier:

  • The stay at home requirement will end, with travel being permitted again, subject to guidance in each tier.
  • Shops, personal care, gyms and the wider leisure sector will reopen.
  • Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume.
  • People will no longer be limited to seeing only one other person in outdoor public spaces: the Rule of 6 will now apply outdoors as it did in the previous set of tiers.

The new three-tier system will return, will extra restrictions in place including:

  • Tier 1 will mean that people should continue to work from home where possible
  • Tier 2 will now mean only pubs serving meals can open
  • In Tier 3, all hospitality will close except for delivery, takeaway and drive-through; hotels and other accommodation providers must close (except for specific exemptions, including people staying for work purposes or where they cannot return home); and indoor entertainment and tourist venues must also close.

An announcement regarding what tier Shropshire will be placed in post-Lockdown will be announced in the near future. Rules on gatherings and travel over the festive period are still yet to be confirmed.

Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said:

“I know this news will be welcomed by many people across Shropshire, especially as the festive season approaches.

“This year has been incredibly difficult for everyone in Shropshire and we appreciate all the sacrifices that our residents and businesses have made to help protect each other.

“When lockdown measures are eased, there may be a temptation for people to let their guard down. The virus isn’t going away, it’s spreading locally, and we are seeing cases in every area of Shropshire. With the festive period just weeks away, we are asking everyone to be vigilant and do everything they can to halt the spread of the virus.

“Every social interaction is the opportunity for the virus to infect and spread. We know it’s extremely difficult, but we ask residents to be extra cautious by limiting the number of people they meet outside of their household and support bubble.

“We are all missing our freedoms, but following the measures will save lives. We need  a community effort to tackle our growing infection levels and stop the spread.

“People still need to keep 2 metres apart from people that are not in our household bubble.

“We all need to protect ourselves and each other. I truly believe that if people take this advice on board, it will help us reduce our rates of infection.”

Peter Nutting, Leader of Shropshire Council said:

“After months of challenges and uncertainty, we are looking forward with some hope to the festive period, but for now I’m urging you all to realise the critical situation we face and do everything you can in the weeks ahead to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

“Some restrictions will change from 2 December, but this doesn’t mean we can let complacency creep in.

“We fully recognise that some people may have found it difficult and unsettling, but coronavirus remains a real threat, and compliance with regulations is essential if the county is to continue to play its part to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. We must continue to be extremely careful – we need to limit our contact with people outside our household and support bubbles, maintain social distancing and do all we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

“Making sure people’s health is protected as we get our economy back on its feet is a difficult balancing act, but the measures announced will go some way to helping the leisure and tourism industry in Shropshire, whilst still keeping people safe.

“We’re here to support businesses as much as possible as they get back up and running, and will continue with our plans to help them get back on their feet during these challenging times.

“Many of us will now be turning to Christmas shopping, and I would urge you all to ‘shop local’ within the county and recognise the efforts of our business community who have worked hard to create safe and welcoming environments.”

For local advice and support during the pandemic (especially if you are self-isolating), call Shropshire Council’s COVID-19 Helpline on 0345 678 9028 (lines open on the weekend on Saturday from 9am-4pm and Sunday 9am-12pm) or visit our website at www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.