Three Tier Lockdown System - what does it mean for Teesside?

The Prime Minister's announced a new system to "simplify and standardise" local lockdown rules in England.

From Wednesday 14th October, areas will be divided into three alert levels - medium, high and very high - depending on coronavirus infection rates.

A press release from 10 Downing Street confirms the following places are classed as High Alert (Tier 2):

Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland and Durham.

This means businesses like bars, restaurants, pubs, casinos and gyms will be allowed to remain open, although the 10pm curfew will still be in place, and groups of more than 6 people are banned.

However, there are also more restrictions which places like Darlington, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland have not been under so far;

They include the ban on mixing of households in any indoor setting, and private gardens. However, social bubbles are still allowed, and grandparents will be allowed to provide childcare.

The Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, has released a statement:

“Following the announcement that local lockdown restrictions will now cover the whole of the Tees Valley, under the government’s new three-tier system, it is absolutely essential that everyone across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool follow the rules so that we can get the virus back under control and return to normal as soon as possible.

“Under the new rules local people are banned from meeting anyone they do not live with in their own home or any indoor setting such as pubs or restaurants. So, while it is incredibly difficult I urge everyone to prevent households mixing.

“Up to six people will be able to meet outdoor, including public spaces such as parks, and private gardens.

“To drive down the virus local people are also advised not to travel except for essential reasons, such as getting to work or school.

“By stepping up our fight we can keep as many people as safe as possible from the virus but also make sure our children can keep going to school and businesses which are Covid-secure can remain open.

“If we do not follow these rules our region and our nation will face even stricter restrictions that no one wants to see, restrictions that will have a catastrophic impact on everyone’s livelihoods and physical and mental health.

“It is essential that we do not spend a day longer than necessary under these new restrictions, so we will continue to monitor the data closely and I urge the government to lift the restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham says:

“This Tory Government has completely and utterly failed the people of Teesside and the North East. Our businesses are now facing the toughest times imaginable: 12,500 jobs have been lost in the Tees Valley since March, and the failure of the Tories’ coronavirus response means it is inevitable that more good jobs are going to be added to the scrap heap.

"Our families are once again being torn apart, for months on end. Yet not every area with the same levels of infections is being treated the same. We deserve to know why nearby Tory areas with high infection rates are being spared these tighter measures. The Government are playing dangerous political games with people’s lives.

“But in the midst of such bungling incompetence, Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations are rising across the Tees Valley, and so it is vital that we all do our part and stick by these new rules to bring the virus back under control.

“We must not listen to the naysayers who have been sowing seeds of mistrust and doubt about the appropriateness of further measures. The UK has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the world, and it continues to climb. Now it is time to pull together and support our local services who will be implementing these new restrictions, and working to keep us all safe.”

And Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald also released a statement - revealing his concern the news rules could be damaging for businesses:

“The latest announcement from the Prime Minister puts Middlesbrough in Tier 2. I fear this could be the worst of all worlds, particularly for businesses. Those firms who are not compelled formally or legally to close will not get the financial support that businesses and employees will get in Tier 3 areas. That would be perverse. The danger here is that our businesses will just wind down to closure anyway.

It is imperative that this Government communicates closely with Local Authority leaders to ensure the right support is given in a timely manner. We know this has not been the case previously and that cannot continue if we are to be in the best position possible to protect people, businesses and communities.”

There was also a Joint statement from the leaders of Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton, Darlington and Hartlepool Councils, and the Mayor of Middlesbrough:

On behalf of the Leaders and Mayor, Cllr Mary Lanigan, Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: “It is disappointing that more areas of the Tees Valley are facing restrictions but given the levels of infection it was inevitable that the Government would make such decisions. We will work to support the implementation of the new measures but there is a real danger that families and businesses will experience hardship both now and in the future.

“The restrictions pose a real threat to our economy and it is vital that the Government approves our funding requests immediately; they will allow us to provide timely local support to local people to offset some of the effects of the restrictions.

“We cannot emphasise enough the importance of this. A very significant proportion of our economy relies upon the hospitality and leisure sector, and there appears to be no funding support for this sector at Tier Two. We are extremely concerned not just about the short term economic impact but also the longer-term consequences for our region.

“Our businesses need time to plan for the changes and we believe there should be a reasonable amount of time before the new measures are introduced to allow this to happen.

“The public also need time to understand what is being asked of them. We have also lobbied the Government to provide a straightforward guide to the restrictions in each of the Tier levels. It is our experience that the restrictions are not well understood at present and the public are relying on Council staff to interpret the restrictions. The guide should also be clear what is law and what is guidance so the public are clear about what they should and should not do.

“Finally, we need clarity over at what point the restrictions will be lifted to allow everybody in our region to work together to restrict the spread of the virus.

“Our priority remains to keep everyone in the Tees Valley safe and to protect jobs and we will do everything possible to make sure this happens.”