Pull together plea as city avoids local lockdown

The Government announced on Friday that Leeds would not be subject to further Covid-19 restrictions and would instead receive extra support towards managing the rise in infection rates.

In what has been described as a “very worrying situation” by the leader of Leeds City Council, the district has now been declared as an “area of concern”, as the seven-day infection rate now stands 66 per 100,000 people.

Leeds City Council claimed the extra support would mean the authority will work with Government on ways to bring down rates of infection, with extra national support and resources.

Leader of Leeds City Council Judith Blake (Lab) said: “We really need everyone to pull together to help us get these rates down and stem the tide.

“What we all do now will make a direct impact on whether we’re able to bring this terrible virus back under control.

“It will also directly affect decisions as to whether Leeds is considered as an area that may need further restrictions later this month. If levels continue to go up as they are doing, this is a real possibility.”

Latest statistics showed Leeds had an infection rate of 69.7 per 100,000 people in the week up to September 8. This was up from 35.7 per 100,000 the week before. This represented a rise in cases from 283 to 553.

Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health for Leeds, added: “I would ask everyone to remind themselves about the safety guidelines on social distancing, handwashing and meeting other people and consider whether they’re still observing them as they’re going about their daily lives.

“These might appear to be small contributions as an individual, but if we all do this it will be the single biggest thing we can do to control the rising rates.”