No Changes To Tier Restrictions Across Hfm Region

There will be no changes to the Coronavirus restrictions in place across the Hfm Region.

Leicestershire will remain under the toughest Tier 3 measures, Northamptonshire in Tier 2.

The government review of the restrictions was based on several factors, including infection rates and the number of people with Covid-19 in hospital.

Earlier this week, Leicester’s hospitals said they are treating more people with Covid-19 than during the first wave of the pandemic, coupled with the usual winter pressures.

Although the infection rate across Harborough is below the national average, it is higher in other parts of the county and has risen in the Harborough District and in all but one part of Leicestershire in the past seven days.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has pledged to consider different Tier levels for different parts of the county in future reviews.

He made the announcement after Harborough MP Neil Obrien asked him a question in the House of Commons:

Leicestershire’s director of public health says an increase in Covid-19 infection rates over the past week had been the major factor in Leicestershire’s tier position remaining unchanged.

Mike Sandys said there had been a ‘resigned acceptance’ over the past 48 hours that the county was likely to stay in tier 3 – news which was confirmed by the government today.

He said: “We can’t escape the fact that rates have gone up in the past few days.

“It’s probably the news we were expecting, but it’s still disappointing as everyone has done really well in driving down the rates.”

The latest figures show Leicestershire’s rate for every 100,000 people is 167.2 – compared to England’s figure of 173.3 – emphasising the work that has been done to drive down rates.

Oadby and Wigston has the highest rate (319.2), followed by Melton (232.4), Blaby (226.5), Harborough (148.2), North West Leicestershire (130.3), Hinckley and Bosworth (129.9) and Charnwood (122.7).

The data relates to the time period – 3 to 9 December.