Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough to enter Tier 2 restrictions

22 October 2020, 15:05 | Updated: 22 October 2020, 20:38

Three new regions have been added to Tier 2
Three new regions have been added to Tier 2. Picture: PA Images
Ewan Quayle

By Ewan Quayle

Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough are to move to Tier 2 restrictions after a significant rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.

The three areas will go into new restrictions at midnight on Saturday.

"The fight is not over and the virus continues to spread," Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs.

In a statement to the House of Commons, he highlighted a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalisations and deaths in the past week.

Read more: Rishi Sunak unveils billions of pounds of support for businesses in Tier 2 areas

Read more: Burnham raises questions over timing of Chancellor's Tier 2 support package

"This is a much more regional second wave," he added. "Which puts more pressure on areas like Liverpool and Lancashire."

The Health Secretary also confirmed that talks had begun with local leaders in Warrington and Nottingham over entering Tier 3 restrictions.

The North West Nightingale Hospital in Manchester will reopen today as hospitals become overwhelmed with virus patients.

Hospitals in Liverpool confirmed on Wednesday they were treating more Covid-19 patients than at the busiest period during the first wave.

On Thursday evening, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust's chief executive Tracy Taylor said the city's Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) has exceeded 200 patients with Covid-19 over the past few days - with numbers "increasing by nearly another full ward of people" every day.

Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough to move to Tier 2 restrictions

Meanwhile in Greater Manchester, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins has said extra teams of officers will be out in towns and cities across the region to ensure compliance with Tier 3 restrictions which come into force tonight.

"We have got some that have just completely flouted the rules," he warned.

"There's one individual who is now up to £3,100 worth of fine and there's one house that has had eight fixed penalty notices issued to it."

Read more: Johnson challenged at PMQs over Tier 3 escape route and resists calls for circuit break

Read more: Ex-police chief: Covid Tier system is 'extraordinarily complicated'

Challenged by MPs over how he planned to balance tackling the virus with civil liberties and mental health problems, Mr Hancock explained how countries were "wrestling" with the issue.

"Like other liberal democracies around the world, we're wrestling with this question of how we keep people safe from the virus whilst at the same time protecting all the important things in life," he said.

"That is what leads us to this strategy of suppressing the virus, supporting the economy, education and the NHS needs to do all the other things that it needs to until the vaccine is available."

Hospitality firms in Tier 2 to get grants of up to £2100 per month

Responding to the statement, Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth admitted that it was too late to hold a national two-week 'circuit break' lockdown over October half-term.

The shadow health secretary said: "Now, I accept we've probably missed the window of opportunity now with... unless the Secretary of State or the minister of state is going to get up at the end of this debate and say actually, we're going to do a circuit-breaker over half-term next week - I accept the Government have probably missed that window of opportunity now.

"But at some point, they will have to take further action."

Read more: Volunteer in Oxford vaccine trial placebo control group dies from covid in Brazil

On Test and Trace, Mr Ashworth added that "the statistics have been bad every week".

A record low of 59.6% of contacts were traced by callers this week - 20% below what experts say is needed for the system to have any major impact on infections.

It follows an announcement by Rishi Sunak earlier on Thursday that businesses currently or formerly in Tier 2 restrictions will be eligible for up to £2,100 per month in support.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to slash benefits spending

Soaring benefits bill 'devastating' for public finances, PM claims as he defends slashing welfare spending by £5bn

Harry Purcell, 17, Matilda 'Tilly' Seccombe, 16, and Frank Wormald, 16 died in the crash

Teen driver who killed three friends told victim's dad he was 'careful' behind the wheel before fatal crash

Louisiana death row inmate Jessie Hoffman Jr.

Louisiana death row inmate executed using nitrogen gas after last-ditch block fails

Searchlights over Kyiv in the early hours of Wednesday morning

Putin hits energy plant hours after landmark Trump talks as Zelenskyy claims Russia has ‘effectively rejected’ ceasefire

A man rides a Lime rental bike across London Bridge from the City of London in the evening sun

First day of spring to be hottest of the year - as UK beats Barcelona and Athens this week to reach 21C

One major question is whether the prince admitted to taking drugs on the form, which he later admitted in his memoir, Spare.

Harry’s US visa records released - but questions remain about drugs admission

Donald Trump has ordered the release of the last classified files surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Thursday, vowing that ‘everything will be revealed’.

'It's a lot of stuff' - Trump releases 80,000 classified pages relating to JFK assassination, honouring campaign promise

A private lunar lander has captured the first high-definition sunset pictures from the Moon.

Lunar lander captures first high-definition picture of sunset on the moon

NASA astronaut Suni Williams is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft

Home at last: NASA astronauts greeted by dolphins as they land back on Earth after eight months stranded in space

One of Tesla’s earliest investors has called for Elon Musk to step down as CEO, saying the ‘divisive’ billionaire has ‘destroyed the company’s reputation’.

‘It’s a crisis’ - Top Tesla investor calls for ‘divisive’ Elon Musk to step down as CEO as stocks keep plunging

Liz Kendall has told LBC that the welfare system ‘has to be reformed’ as the government faces a backlash from Labour MPs for their plans to shake up the benefits system.

‘Can’t duck the issue’ of UK’s soaring benefits bill, Liz Kendall tells LBC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's deadly strikes on Gaza will continue in full force.

Netanyahu warns this is 'just the beginning' of 'full force' Gaza strikes after overnight attack kills 400

U.K. GCSE Exams

Teenagers could sit fewer GCSE exams amid concerns of overstress, Government review suggests

DigDat performs at Wireless Festival 2021 at Crystal Palace on September 12, 2021 in London, England.

Drill rapper DigDat guilty of attempted murder over drive-by shooting in which victim ‘lucky not to die’

Nicholas Prosper was caught on CCTV buying a gun in a car park

Moment killer smirks after buying shotgun in car park hours before he murdered family at home

Vladimir Putin laid out demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine following a landmark phone call.

'Don't negotiate without Ukraine', Zelenskyy says after Putin and Trump agree partial ceasefire in landmark phone call