Lockdown tightened in parts of Northern England

[PatriciaHolm]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53602362

Still breaking so no exact detail on location yet but -

"Separate households will not be allowed to meet indoors in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire from midnight, the government has announced.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said an "increasing rate of transmission" had been identified in those areas."

I agree notangelinajolie

Its amazing how many people do not seem to understand just how populated these places are
Greater Manchester is a whole county
West Yorkshire is too, though only 3 of WY's 5 districts is under this new lockdown. Leeds, the most populous part of WY is not affected though.

These figures are up to the 27th. Decision could have been taken on the 28th in theory. Delays in getting this data if its so urgent are not really excusable tbh

But to be fair, we don't know what very recent data the government have had today or even this evening. They might have more urgent data we are not aware of yet

Bradford 48.0 (258), 44.5 (239)*

These are huge numbers, even for a city the size of Bradford. This probably went some way to deciding on neighbouring Kirkless and Calderdale being included as well.

But to be fair, we don't know what very recent data the government have had today or even this evening. They might have more urgent data we are not aware of yet

Theres enough in some of those figures to be concerned enough to do something without any other data.

Theres enough in some of those figures to be concerned enough to do something without any other data

Yes Redroothbrush I agree with that as well

One thing i find interesting in those figures is Manchesters numbers.

My friend lives in Manchester and i visited her last week. There was next to no one around. She lives in a student area and the place is like a ghost town.

Manchester's population does drop significantly during the summer when students go home as a rule.

Given that its apparently young people driving the infection rates, i think that its not schools that are going to pose the biggest problem in September. Its going to be universities. All the noise has been about schools but i think its university towns that need to be watched.

Now given that Manchester is high on the list in that context, its concerning. Theres been a drive to get people back to work in the city centre but the whole borough (not just the city centre) is quieter than normal.

I do not get what is going on in your country. You open up indoor restaurants and movie theaters, but people can't meet in them? How does that even work?

Men reporting the following

Rossendale in Lancashire was among a number of areas where new rules have been introduced preventing households from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens following a spike in virus cases.

But figures from Public Health England on the Government’s coronavirus online dashboard show Rossendale had a rate of new cases in the seven days to July 27 of 4.2, compared to 60.2 in Leicester and 54.3 in Oldham which have also been placed under restrictions.

Why have the locked down Rossendale? Could they not find it on the map or did they get it confused with somewhere else?

Well let's face it it was always going to be rife up StoneyHolme. No distancing whatsoever

@RedToothBrush

Men reporting the following

Rossendale in Lancashire was among a number of areas where new rules have been introduced preventing households from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens following a spike in virus cases.

But figures from Public Health England on the Government’s coronavirus online dashboard show Rossendale had a rate of new cases in the seven days to July 27 of 4.2, compared to 60.2 in Leicester and 54.3 in Oldham which have also been placed under restrictions.

Why have the locked down Rossendale? Could they not find it on the map or did they get it confused with somewhere else?

Mixed up with Rochdale?

Why have the locked down Rossendale? Could they not find it on the map or did they get it confused with somewhere else

I expect because its between Rochdale (Greater Man) and Blackburn (Lancs)

Manchester (a similar population to Bradford) is interesting. It's quite low in numbers. But again, it's very close to large towns with high numbers (also in Greater Manchester). So you could ask why not Leeds as well, because Leeds is very close to Bradford and Kirklees (Kirklees has large towns, high numbers again).

Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire are similar counties, but if it spreads to the city of Leeds then that would be almost another million people.

This affects a huge population in the north

Leeds and Manchester cities are quite low but it's the cities and large towns around them that have the high numbers

@RedToothBrush my sister is a student in Manchester and she works in a very busy bar and is out every weekend, all weekend (as her SM updates show too!!) my stepmom is terrified and tearing her hair out!!

@Allywill

Well is it just that we can’t meet up with other households inside but can still go to gym, restaurant, pub as long as we stay in our household group? I guess my cleaner can still come in the house as she could before?

Hope so. I'm a cleaner in Greater Manchester and I've absolutely no intention of not working.

I live in a Bradford postcode, a small village where we haven't had any covid cases,yet. We've stuck to the guidelines as a community and I have been sheilding since March.
I've cooked enough food for my in-laws and my side of the family. Spent over £400 on food and drinks. I've been prepping since Wednesday (samosas take a long time to make!) , Marinated chicken,aleg of lamb, made kebabs not mention the curries and rice as well as desserts. My point is those celebrating Eid have spent their money buying a tonne of food and 3 hrs before Eid have been told tough shit!
If they announced this yesterday I wouldn't have bought half as much food. So I'm just going to leave the food on family's doorstep and make a run for it.
I'm sure if this happened on Christmas Eve all hell would break loose. I have no qualms with a local lockdown but do it a few days before a religious festival not 3 hrs.
It's ludicrous that you can still go to the pub,gym or a restaurant,that won't spread covid yet visiting family will. It has been targeted towards the Muslim community. If the government were being fair then pubs,gyms etc should be shut too.

Purpleorange1

So what is it you think the government should do? Shrug and announce "Hey everyone, Infections are rising dangerously in densely populated urban areas in the north again, but let's all ignore it and pretend it isn't happening because its Eid and there might be a surplus of samosas"? Seriously

I live in one of these areas. I want this horrible virus under control and yes lots of people will lose out, holidays, staycations and so on, not just Muslims. It affects everyone

My point is they knew about cases rising last week yet they decided to act on it 3 hrs before Eid. They could have introduced a lockdown earlier. What is to stop people who can't meet indoors to meet at a pub or a restaurant. If you're going to introduce a lockdown than it should be a case of pubs,gyms and restaurants being shut too.

I live in Stockport, we had a spike last week which was mainly because of an outbreak in a care home. It went up for one day and has since come down again. Even with the one day spike our cases per 100k are lower than many other councils across the country but this is apparently enough for us to have to lock down again. It's nonsense.

@Purpleorange1

I live in a Bradford postcode, a small village where we haven't had any covid cases,yet. We've stuck to the guidelines as a community and I have been sheilding since March. I've cooked enough food for my in-laws and my side of the family. Spent over £400 on food and drinks. I've been prepping since Wednesday (samosas take a long time to make!) , Marinated chicken,aleg of lamb, made kebabs not mention the curries and rice as well as desserts. My point is those celebrating Eid have spent their money buying a tonne of food and 3 hrs before Eid have been told tough shit! If they announced this yesterday I wouldn't have bought half as much food. So I'm just going to leave the food on family's doorstep and make a run for it. I'm sure if this happened on Christmas Eve all hell would break loose. I have no qualms with a local lockdown but do it a few days before a religious festival not 3 hrs. It's ludicrous that you can still go to the pub,gym or a restaurant,that won't spread covid yet visiting family will. It has been targeted towards the Muslim community. If the government were being fair then pubs,gyms etc should be shut too.

I'm sorry Purple.

This does seem completely unfair. Yes we sadly need more measures (since track and trace is a fiasco) but how is meeting in a private garden more dangerous than going in household groups to the pub? All the evidence suggests outdoors is pretty safe. The choice of restrictions and the timing seems very "economy first" and completely uncaring towards Muslims.

My point is they knew about cases rising last week yet they decided to act on it 3 hrs before Eid.

It isn't about Eid. The cases in Grt Man and West Yorks have been fluctuating for weeks but the numbers, and especially that they have been sustained, have now reached dangerous levels. This information had been available now for weeks in the local press, so not sure why it's such a surprise. The government might also have other urgent statistical information to be announced.

They could have introduced a lockdown earlier.

Why would they do that when it's a situation that has changed day to day but now reached a limit at this time. It's unfortunate for religious people but that's just the way it is. ALL people in these areas have to be considered, not just those who attend religious festivals

What is to stop people who can't meet indoors to meet at a pub or a restaurant. If you're going to introduce a lockdown than it should be a case of pubs,gyms and restaurants being shut too.

Muslims can still go to pubs, restaurants and gyms, just like they always have. Like anyone else. As long as you social distance and stay in your household group

If it's not about Eid celebrations, it's an unfortunate coincidence. The weather is supposed to be lovely over the weekend so hopefully many can meet up in parks for big communal but appropriately socially distant picnics as a compromise.

But I can see how lifestyles of many families of south Asian heritage in these areas (I live near to both the Kirklees and Bradford authority borders and a family member has married into a Muslim family) will have promoted transmission especially for those who have carried on as normal, which I suspect many have.

Lots of multi generation households and lots of family contact, my relative shares childcare and cooking on a rota with two of her inlaws so that's 3 households in constant close contact with each other, so if they're still doing that it would obviously be risky, also some medical staff in the family so another reason for high risk.

It's also probably going to be hard to prove who lives where as in my relative's case, they live in a house that's owned by someone else in the extended family, but they own another property that's currently occupied by other family members, and occupancy or households change due to need or life stage. This sort of arrangement is fairly common, so following lockdown rules about not mixing with other households will have been a huge disruption.

As for rising racial tensions , people ought to remember that it wasn't Muslim communities mingling in Spain and in European ski resorts that brought it here in the first place. As has been reported as scientific fact re the origins of the strain in this country. Yet it's predominantly the BAME communities whose lives have disproportionately paid the price. I haven't seen any "racial tension" towards white people for that.

It's Bradford district (which includes places like Keighley and Ilkley) not the Bradford postcode area.

@Namechanger20183110

As for rising racial tensions , people ought to remember that it wasn't Muslim communities mingling in Spain and in European ski resorts that brought it here in the first place. As has been reported as scientific fact re the origins of the strain in this country. Yet it's predominantly the BAME communities whose lives have disproportionately paid the price. I haven't seen any "racial tension" towards white people for that.

None of this matters though. The truth does not matter. If people believe its one group spreading it in the uk now that's all that matters. Its all about perception and what people think the truth is rather than what is real and has actually happened. The politics of Trump in the last 4 years illustrate the difference between reality and perceived reality very well. You cant escape reality but peoples behaviour is dictated by what they think is reality.

This could very easily create racial tension.

How the government have handled this makes a big difference too. There is no real reason why if these figures are to the 27th, that this could not have been decided earlier. It raises questions about how quickly crucial data is being reported. There is a reason why the government is pushing for Covid-19 testing to be turned around in 24hrs. By the same token, data from tgat testing for local and central government should be turned around and available within 24 hours for the same reason.

The government should be aware of sensitive issues and important dates like Eid as a matter of routine because they pose particular hazards.

There are no good excuses here. Just a litany of bad ones who demonstrate poor governance of the crisis once again.

It's Bradford district (which includes places like Keighley and Ilkley) not the Bradford postcode area

Hopefully they'll publish a definitive map today because there will be people living on the outskirts of Bradford, who have a BD postcode who won't currently know whether they're included or not. You mention Ilkley, but that has a Leeds postcode, some parts of it at least.

Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsmen
It's frankly irresponsible from a public health point of view not to brief the local media who will be trying to get this message out in a clear manner. There is a GMCA meeting and an Andy Burnham presser today, so hopefully some clarity will come from that. Not happy though.

Someone asked in reply

Does anybody know if there is going to be a formal announcement- ie a daily briefing? Or are all govt announcements being made via Matt Hancock's Twitter feedfrom now on?

Jen Williams who is a senior journalist at the Manchester evening news replied she had no idea.

Please stop trying to justify government for this shit management of the situation. This is now the last day in July. Its not early days of March. The government should be organised even to do public health messages properly rather thsb than this shit show.

I understand that Matt Hancock is doing tv and radio after 7am this morning but frankly gicen the nature of 24hr news and that businesses and households need to know the details of what came into force at midnight before midnight its not good enough