Covid-19 tiers: Northamptonshire put in tier 2 post lockdown

Northamptonshire will be in tier two when England's second lockdown ends on 2 December, it has been announced.

People in tier two cannot socialise with other households indoors and the rule of six will apply outdoors.

Prior to England's second shutdown, the county was subject to the lowest level tier one restrictions.

Lucy Wightman, director of Public Health Northamptonshire, said: "This is the result of activities in the week before lockdown."

Mrs Wightman said she believed the lockdown had been too short to "make up the ground we covered" before lockdown.

The number of cases in the county leapt up by 50% after the lockdown was announced.

"We're not back to the point of the week before lockdown," Mrs Wightman said.

She added that it was "too early to say" if the peak of the second wave of coronavirus had been reached, warning "we could see another surge in January".

Mrs Wightman added that she had only found out what tier the county would be in by looking on the government's postcode tracker, which details which areas will be in which category.

She said the decision had been made entirely in Westminster: "I can't tell you if we are close to the bottom of level two or nearly in level three.

"We've been promised the thresholds will be set. The problem is they just haven't been shared."

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons the three-tiered regional measures would return from 2 December, but added that each tier would be toughened.

The allocation of tiers is dependent on factors including each area's case numbers, the reproduction rate - or R number - and the current and projected pressure on the NHS locally.

Tier allocations will be reviewed every 14 days, and the regional approach will last until March.

There are exceptions for some of the tier two rules, for childcare and support bubbles.

Speaking prior to the announcement, Kettering MP Philip Hollobone told BBC Radio Northampton that all seven of Northamptonshire's MPs had favoured the county being put in the lowest tier (tier one).

Mr Hollobone said he feared severe restrictions would mean "many small businesses - especially in the retail sector and hospitality sector - will go under because they make between a quarter and a third of their profits in the run up to Christmas".

Rachel Roberts, who owns Mooch in Northampton with husband Paul, said the gift shop had been closed since 5 November.

The couple, who have five shops across Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, have been able to operate a click and collect facility from St Giles Street.

However, Mrs Roberts said it had only been "a very small lifeline" and her books were "looking pretty grim".

"We're already going to be limited in terms of capacity whatever tier we happen to be in," she said.

"The biggest reality check we've had to have in our business is that we're only going to be able to have, certainly in St Giles Street, three or four people in the shop at a time across the two floors."

Steve Ward, co-owner of St Giles Cheese, said he would be taking the same precautions regardless of what tier the county was in.

"We'll limit numbers through the door, having a small shop that's quite easy to manage," he said.

"I think running up to Christmas people are going to come out whatever happens.

"They are going to - hopefully - be careful, keep their masks on, avoid getting too close to everybody and just be sensible about it."

Analysis by Laura Coffey, BBC Radio Northampton Politics reporter

Northamptonshire went into this lockdown in tier one, but we'll come out of it next Wednesday in tier two.

Here in the county cases had continued to rise despite the lockdown, although last week's figures from Public Health Northamptonshire seemed to be showing a levelling out.

Public health officials in the county hope figures will have dropped when they're published in the weekly surveillance report on Friday.

This drop can already be seen in figures published by the government on a daily basis.

This tier system will feel very different this time as the government has tightened restrictions.

For us in Northamptonshire it means no household mixing indoors; rule of six applies outdoors; pubs and restaurants shut at 11pm, alcohol can only be served with a substantial meal - so bars and pubs only selling booze must close.

Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman, speaking on Thursday morning in the weekly Covid board meeting, said we cannot be complacent and need to keep the figures low ahead of the five-day break over Christmas to avoid a third wave after.

Following the announcement, Northampton Town Football Club said it would be welcoming season ticket holders back to matches.

In a statement on its website, the club said: "The news comes as a huge boost to both the club and our loyal season ticket holders."

The club will first have to stage a pilot event with around 1,000 season ticket holders. This will take place at Sixfields Stadium on 5 December, for the match against Doncaster Rovers.

A ballot will take place to determine which fans can attend that game.

Northampton made national headlines earlier this year when an outbreak of Covid-19 at M&S sandwich maker Greencore meant it had the highest rate of new coronavirus cases in England.

The town was made an 'Area of Intervention' - then the highest category on the government's watchlist - in August, with the factory closed.

In all, almost 300 workers tested positive, but the town avoided going into a local lockdown.

South Northamptonshire and Northampton have rates above the England-wide average in the week to 21 November, but both have fallen week-on-week.

All districts in the county have seen their rates fall week-on-week.

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