Stoke-on-Trent to move into Tier 2
The city council has applied to be in the High tier after 60% rise in cases over the last seven days
Last updated 22nd Oct 2020
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has applied to the Government for the city to be placed into the ‘high level’ banding of COVID-19 restrictions.
The city has continued to see a sharp increase in coronavirus cases over the last five days, which the city’s Director of Adult Social Care and Health, Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, has advised will continue to accelerate unless urgent action is taken and a move to ‘high’ from the current ‘medium’ level is made sooner rather than later.
Stoke-on-Trent has seen rates of coronavirus cases continue to rise exponentially in recent days. The number of new cases rose to 210.2 per 100,000 population between 13 and 19 October, a further increase of 24.5 cases from the previous day’s figures.
Can I mix with people outside my bubble?
You must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless you live with them or have formed a support bubble with them. This includes private homes, and any other indoor venues such as pubs and restaurants.
You may continue to see friends and family you do not live with (or have not formed a support bubble with) outside, including in a garden or other outdoor space. When you do so, you must not meet in a group of more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age.
Can I go to work?
People are advised to work from home where possible, but are able to still go to work if this isn't an option.
Are schools open?
It has been confirmed that schools and universities will remain open.
Can I attend weddings and funerals?
Weddings and funerals are able to go ahead with restrictions on the number of people attending, 15 can attend weddings and 30 attend funerals.
Are restaurants and pubs closed?
Pubs & restaurants following COVID-secure guidance may still open, but no one must mix indoors with anyone who they do not live with (or have formed a support bubble with) unless exemptions apply. Outdoors, you can meet in groups of up to 6 people.
I want to exercise, are gyms open and sports allowed?
You can take part in organised outdoor sport and physical activity, including exercise classes, in any number, provided this follows the relevant guidance (for team sports or for other outdoor licensed physical activity and exercise classes).
Organised indoor sport, exercise classes and other activity groups are only permitted indoors if is it possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with (or share a support bubble with). Where it is likely that households (or support bubbles) will mix, these activities must not go ahead. Social interaction before and after any sport or exercise should be limited to people from the same household or support bubble.
There are exceptions for disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, which can happen in any number.
Can I stay overnight in the UK?
You can still travel within high alert level areas to hotels and other guest accommodation, but you should only do this with people in your household or support bubble.
You can still go on holiday outside of high alert level areas, but you must only do this with people in your household or support bubble.
Can I go to church or other places of worship?
Mixing outside of bubbles is not permitted, but places of worship remain open for individuals or household bubbles as long as social distancing is maintained.
What about childcare?
Registered childcare can carry on, including wraparound care, youth groups and activities, and children's playgroups. This means you can continue to use early years and childcare settings, including childminders, after-school clubs and nannies.
Registered childcare providers and people in either your support bubble or your childcare bubble can provide childcare support in private homes and gardens
A childcare bubble is where someone in one household provides informal (unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. This must always be between the same 2 households.
Can I visit a care home?
You should not visit a care home except in exceptional circumstances, for example to visit an individual who is at the end of their life.
Can I still move house?
You can still move home if you're in a high alert level area.
Estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work and people looking to move home can continue to undertake viewings.
Can I travel out of the area?
You can still go on holiday outside of high alert level areas, but you must only do this with people in your household or support bubble.
When travelling, it is important that you respect the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not travel to different parts of the UK where their intended activities there would be prohibited by legislation passed by the relevant devolved administration. You should also avoid travelling to any part of the country subject to very high local COVID alert levels.
Analysis of cases across the city shows spread across the north, central, south east and south west of the city, with more cases in the south west than elsewhere although the distribution is fairly even, with transmission mainly household-to-household.
Hospital admissions continue to rise with deaths now being reported as well. Without action now, the council expects to see substantial increases in the pressure on the Royal Stoke hospital which will impact still further on residents suffering from other serious conditions.
Under ‘high level’ restrictions, people must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place. They must not meet in a group of more than six outside, including in a garden or other space.
Should ‘high level’ restrictions fail to reduce the number of cases, areas will be placed into ‘very high’, the highest level of restrictions.
Cllr Abi Brown, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been working extensively with local MPs and has led the bid to the Secretary of State.
She said:
“By acting now, we can hope to stem this increase, limiting the time that we are in these enhanced restrictions and – above all – avoiding further escalation into ‘very high’.
“Taking this approach now will limit the damage to our local economy of a potential future move to the ‘very high’ category. Swift decisive early action to quickly reduce the spread of coronavirus will reduce pressure on the NHS, prevent more unnecessary deaths, and the huge economic harm of the full lockdown we are seeing elsewhere. I’m not willing to put the lives of Stoke-on-Trent residents at risk by dithering for a week when we can act now to save lives and minimise economic damage.
“Following ongoing discussions with public health colleagues and using the extensive data at our fingertips, we have taken the decision to apply to the government to move into the high level. I would like to thank our communities for everything they have done to try to contain the virus – we have done well to come this far without intervention. We hope that by acting decisively now, we will avoid further intervention later.”
Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones said:
“The pandemic has not gone away. It is very easily transmitted and put simply, it kills people and leave others struggling to recover months later. We know people may be tired of hearing the messages over and over but they are more important than ever now. Keep washing your hands, wear a face covering, limit your social contact and self-isolate if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
“Our data suggests that too many people with symptoms are not staying at home when they should be; this could have a deadly impact on older and more vulnerable loved ones, so please keep them safe by following the guidelines. Limiting our contact with our family and friends is hard, but it is important because the more contact we have, the more likely the virus will spread."
“If you are contacted by test and trace, please self-isolate as directed and if you have symptoms, book a test as soon as you can.”