Harrogate council welcomes Tier 2 move and is hopeful of moving to a lower tier

Covid fury: Harrogate drinks industry slams 'harsh' new tier system as a catastrophe for the town

Harrogate Borough Council's deputy leader Coun Graham Swift said Health Secretary Matt Hancock's announcement today that all of North Yorkshire would be going from Tier 1 into Tier 2 restrictions for Covid from next Thursday would be a challenge for businesses but a considerable amount of economic activity was now being permitted and the decision amounted to a step forward for Harrogate as a whole.

Coun Swift said: "I think it is good news that Harrogate is planned to be in Tier 2.

"We have seen that the measures being taken currently have made real inroads into reducing the number of infections as reported on a variety of local government websites.

"Keeping this progress in place is most encouraging as it has real impact and will continue to save lives."

He continued: "There is no doubt that the challenge to keep these restrictions in place is very tough for everybody but our schools are open, a considerable amount of economic activity is being retained as demonstrated by the continuing strong sales in housing and related industries, and lives are being saved.

"There have been a number of very positive developments with several major corporations advising successful progress with their vaccines. This is also very encouraging and this is not the time to give in.

"Everybody can make a difference by abiding by the rules.

He added: "I was very encouraged to see cities such as Liverpool get into Tier 2, too!

"The city had very high infection rates and their citizen's actions have demonstrated the benefits of implementing the rules.

"I am optimistic that we can also lower our tiering over time but I am even more optimistic that the vaccine solutions are not far away."

Harrogate and Knaresborough libraries to restart services this week after Covid closures

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