Council bosses demand more support to curb rising COVID infections in St Helens
They say the current package of support that has been offered doesn't address the problem
St Helens' council leader's said the government needs to widen its offer of support to areas with rising COVID-19 infection rates.
Yesterday ministers announced several areas of the UK, including St Helens, will be given an "enhanced support package" in a bid to tackle the delta coronavirus variant which was first identified in India.
Birmingham, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, the Liverpool City Region (which includes St Helens) and Warrington will all get access to extra resources.
The government say this additional support including surge testing, tracing, isolation support and maximising vaccine uptake, will be rapidly deployed.
However, St Helens' council leader David Baines says it's flexibility in the local vaccination programme that would really make a difference:
"I'm actually quite frustrated by the enhanced response area plan the government has."
"Because really, there isn't that much that you get that you need."
"We need vaccinations, we need more jabs, we need the ability to vaccinate everyone aged 18 and over."
"They are not giving us that and that when vaccinations are our way out of this."
"We're doing great on testing. We're doing fantastic on vaccinations, what we need is the ability to vaccinate those cohorts who are currently not able to get the vaccination."
"So the government can call somewhere and enhance response area, they can provide more testing they can they can throw those sort of things out but it's not actually going to do what we need it to do."
The COVID-19 infection rate is currently 57.6 cases per 100,000 people, up from 8.9 two and a half weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister yesterday cancelled plans to remove all remaining coronavirus restrictions citing concerns about the Delta variant.
July 19th is now the date ministers hope to be able to end most restrictions.
However, from next week weddings will be able to have an unlimited number of guests in attendance although a dance floor will not be permitted.
You can read more about what rules will change and what will stay the same here.
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