North Yorkshire communities thanked for helping ensure county will be in tier 2 of COVID restrictions when national lockdown ends
As a result of concerted efforts across North Yorkshire and the impact of the lockdown, the county’s rate of infection is now under 200 per 100,000 – low enough to place the county into tier 2 of the Government’s COVID-19 restrictions, when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday (December 2).
North Yorkshire is the only region in Yorkshire not to be in tier 3.
However, leaders also warned there was no room for complacency as the county enters a dangerous phase with the end of lockdown.
Richard Flinton, chair of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, said: “To each and every one of you who has played their part to get the rates down I am grateful; please keep going because there really is light at the end of the tunnel now. If we can keep that downward trend, we will all get back to as close to normality as possible sooner.
The Government has said today that it will review the tiers fortnightly, so if we keep on pulling together to follow the restrictions there is always the chance we can go into the lowest tier 1.
‘Lives depend on our efforts’
Dr Lincoln Sargeant, North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health, said: “We must not forget that just a couple of months ago a rate of 20 per 100,000 was enough to put Scarborough and Selby on the watch list, because this virus spreads at speed, so we cannot afford to lower our guard. People’s lives depend on our individual efforts as well as the health of our economy and the survival of our businesses. We cannot afford to forget that.
“We simply cannot afford to stay in tier 2 because this reflects that people are dying and means businesses are suffering.
“So I am asking all of you to abide by the restrictions we will be placed under following the end of lockdown next week and above all refrain from household mixing – the single most significant factor in the spread of COVID. This is where the virus can do its most damage and spread quickly between friends and family.
“And, of course, we urge people to carry on with the essential COVID safety measures of washing hands regularly, wearing face masks in public venues and outdoors in crowded spaces and keeping a social distance of two metres wherever possible.
‘Most fines handed out on the coast’
“There will always be people who think the rules do not apply to them and our police colleagues will continue to maintain a high visibility, carrying out enforcement as well as encouragement of people to stick to the rules – particularly in areas with the highest transmission rates,” said Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for North Yorkshire Police’s response to COVID-19.
“North Yorkshire is one of the highest-issuing forces of fixed penalty notices for breaches of the restrictions and the police will continue policing communities proportionately.
Of the 72 fines issued last week, more than two thirds were handed out along the coast – the area with the highest rates. These were for a mix of indoor and outdoor gatherings. Such behaviour must not be allowed to undermine the sterling efforts of the vast majority of residents who have helped to drive the rate down.
