Council leader reacts to rumours of Tier 3 measures for Buckinghamshire
Martin Tett said he didn't recognise figures mentioned in a national newspaper
Last updated 9th Dec 2020
The leader of Buckinghamshire Council has rejected claims published by a national newspaper the entire county could be headed for ‘tougher’ Tier Three restrictions next week.
Cllr Martin Tett said he ‘did not recognise’ figures published on the The Sun website which suggest Buckinghamshire is one of four areas “at risk” of leaving Tier Two due to increased rates of infection.
The news appeared in a national newspaper article with the headline, “Watchlist: The four areas at risk of going into Tier 3 Covid lockdown next week despite vaccine joy”.
It suggested data reported on December 8 showed Buckinghamshire as having 352 cases per 100,000 people – and 101 per 100,000 in those over 60.
But Cllr Tett contested the data, saying latest weekly results had been 117.5 per 100,000.
Despite cases among the general population ‘falling or remaining stable’ in the week since the second lockdown was lifted, Buckinghamshire is one of four areas where “rates have gone up”, according to The Sun’s Digital Health Reporter, Gemma Mullin.
The other areas are Suffolk, Warrington and Cheshire, Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset, they say.
The data comes from a Covid Symptom Study app, run by a group at King’s College London. The results are given to the Government, showing “around one million weekly self-reporters and the proportion of newly symptomatic users who have positive swab tests,” according to The Sun.
“This is worrying @MATatBucks,” wrote someone on Twitter.
“I don’t recognise these figures (in Buckinghamshire it’s 352 per 100,000). Latest weekly figures I have are 117.5 per 100k,” replied Cllr Tett.
The ‘tougher’ tier system in England, reintroduced on December 2, will be reviewed every two weeks.
The first review is due on Wednesday, December 16.
Tier allocations are directed by five criteria: case numbers across all age groups, cases in those aged over 60, the rate of rise or fall in infections, the percentage of those tested who have the virus, and the projected pressures on the NHS locally.
Buckinghamshire is currently in Tier Two, or ‘high alert’.
Were it to move into ‘very high’ (Tier Three), the restrictions would be:
- No household mixing in or outdoors, in gardens, or hospitality venues
- Rule of six outdoors
- Pubs and restaurants should be closed, except for delivery and takeaway services
- Indoor entertainment venues should close
- People should avoid travelling in and out of the area
- Hairdressers can continue to operate