COVID-19: Council Leader calls for consistent national approach

Published Wednesday, 30th December 2020

The Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council says a consistent national approach would have been far fairer for everyone as COVID-19 cases across the country soar.

Councillor Shane Moore was speaking following Hartlepool being placed into Tier 4 restrictions by Government and his huge worry about the impact this will have on the local economy.

Tier 4 is the toughest level of restrictions brought in to try and slow the spread of a new variant of Coronavirus.  

Councillor Moore said: “Clearly this is a worrying time for everyone and unfortunately there is no silver bullet here.

“Whilst I do appreciate this move into Tier 4 could potentially bring numbers down faster, as the Leader of the Council I am also expected to look at the wider implications and I believe moving into Tier 4 will bring further devastation to our local economy and put more people in Hartlepool out of work.

“Although our rates are increasing, they are not going up at the pace being witnessed in the south and I believe the Government should be fair to all and consider a consistent national approach to ensure the spread of the new variant is decelerated and work can be concentrated on the essential roll out of the new vaccines.

“Put simply, this is a problem for the whole country which requires an urgent and fair national solution.”

Councillor Shane Moore

Councillor Shane Moore

Under tier 4 restrictions, non-essential shops, hairdressers, and leisure and entertainment venues must close, with a new “stay at home” message introduced.

Under the measures, households are not allowed to mix, but one person is allowed to meet with one other person outside in a public space. Support bubbles and those meeting for childcare are exempt.

Craig Blundred, Hartlepool’s Director of Public Health, said: “As I have said before, we recognise the huge sacrifices people have made to prevent the spread of this virus in Hartlepool and I know today’s announcement will be hugely disappointing for our residents and businesses.

“I know people are tired and frustrated but there is also light at the end of the tunnel, and it has been pleasing to see vaccinations being delivered across Hartlepool and this gives us great hope for the New Year.

“But we’re not out of danger yet and the bottom line is COVID-19 is a particularly nasty virus and is spread through social contact. Each and every one of us therefore has a responsibility to ensure we follow the rules and it is important that we are not complacent.

“In particular, please remember hands, face and space, as even small steps save lives. It is vitally important that we all take these basic safety precautions but we need to do it as a collective measure – it is not a case of one or the other.

“It’s also vital to get a test straight away if you have any of the virus symptoms. We’d much rather you booked a test immediately even if it then comes back negative, than adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach for a day or two, because during that time if you do have the virus you could be spreading it to other people and you could also become more poorly yourself.”

Craig Blundred

Craig Blundred

Find out more at www.gov.uk/coronavirus