Covid-19: Why Luton is self-imposing stricter tier 2 rules

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed Luton as the "way forward for the entire country" just a few weeks ago, as Covid-19 cases there fell and local restrictions were lifted. After infection rates surged, the council is now urging residents to voluntarily follow tighter restrictions. How are they reacting?

"The reason I think for the success of Luton is that local people pulled together to depress the virus," Mr Johnson told the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions at the end of September.

The town's 214,000 residents are now being asked to pull together once again after the rate of infection rose from 87 to 138 per 100,000 people in the past week.

At present the town remains in tier one of the government's new three-tier system. Council leaders want to keep it that way.

The council has urged everybody in Luton to voluntarily place themselves under tighter restrictions than demanded by the government.

This includes urging people not to meet with those from other households whether inside or outside the home.

Council leader Hazel Simmons said she knew the request would be a bitter pill to swallow for many, especially as it came just before school half term, but it was a "health crisis".

"Covid-19 cases are rising dramatically - so much so that the town now has the highest number in the whole of the Eastern region, she said.

"Admissions to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital are increasing and tragically we have experienced Covid-19 related deaths for the first time in a number of weeks.

"It is a stark reminder of the deadly nature of the virus and the danger we are all facing.

"There can be little doubt that while we are currently on the medium alert level, if our cases continue to grow we would expect to move up to the next tier unless we can act together to slow the disease's spread."

The move has been welcomed by Usman Ayub, who works at his family butchers, Luton Halal.

"The council takes a lot of flack from businesses and people in general, but it is good to see they are doing a lot of positive work for the community and I think the message is sinking in," he said.

"Luton is ethnically diverse and, as a British Asian, I think we tend to be set in our ways, especially our elders, when it comes to things like social distancing and wearing masks.

"Nobody wants to be told what to do but if we don't all work together it will only get worse.

"My own father is now wearing a mask and gloves which I could not have imagined him doing at the start of the outbreak. It just goes to show that the message is really getting through. That's important, especially as we head into the winter months."

Fellow Luton resident Gill Bottoms knows more than most about the impact of restrictions.

Mrs Bottoms, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has been shielding since the pandemic first rose its head in the UK back in March.

She has not been inside a shop and the only visits she has had have been from close family and a handful of friends, who have usually conversed with her from the end of her garden.

"It has never been more than six at a time - we have not been able to meet up as a family. It is very hard and not to have a hug has been terrible. I've told my grandchildren that when this is over they owe me thousands of hugs."

She said she supported the council's move urging people to go above and beyond the restrictions laid down under the town's current tier rating.

"I don't think everybody is following the rules," she said. "I've seen children in large groups out and about not wearing masks. You would think they would have a little bit more sense. It is not just about protecting yourself, it is about protecting and caring about the people around you."

Gerry Taylor, Luton's director of public health, said unless cases started coming down, it was "quite likely" the town would be put in tier two by central government.

"What we are seeing are cases rising across the whole of the town rather than in specific parts of Luton so we are at a real tipping point where we do need to work together and we really need community support to make sure we can halt the increase."

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