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All of South East Placed Under Tier 2 Restrictions From December 2

Published on: 26 Nov, 2020
Updated on: 26 Nov, 2020

Guildford and almost the entire South East region will be placed under Tier 2 restrictions when Lockdown 2 ends next Wednesday (December 2). This was confirmed by a county council spokesman after a government website crashed, preventing enquiries.

The decisions have been based on:

  • Case detection rates in all age groups;
  • Case detection rates in the over-60s;
  • The rate at which cases are rising or falling;
  • Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken); and
  • Pressure on the NHS.

Cllr Joss Bigmore

The government has also considered travel patterns between different areas.

GBC leader Joss Bigmore (R4GV, Christchurch), said: “While I suspect some residents will be disappointed that Guildford Borough has been placed into Tier 2, this is a significant relaxation of the conditions we have been living under for the past month.

“We can again support our retailers and attend restaurants within our family bubbles. We can also enjoy limited social contacts in an outdoors environment.

“Please respect the new guidelines. Our infection numbers have been gradually falling and that’s due to the efforts of every resident, but we need to continue, the virus has not gone away.

Matt Hancock and Guildford’s MP Angela Richardson at the RSCH in November 2019

Guildford’s MP Angela Richardson also urged compliance: “I would like to thank everyone in Guildford for the patience they have shown with the current national restrictions that we are about to exit on  December 2.

“I’m not surprised that we have exited into Tier 2 as it was likely that we were going to enter into it before the national measures were announced and I have not seen anything in the data to show a marked change in the last few weeks.

“The Tiers will be assessed fortnightly to start with and then my understanding is weekly reviews from then on.  If we continue to be mindful of others and follow the guidance, I am hopeful that we will eventually move into Tier 1.

“Now is the time to start looking forward to Christmas and support our local retailers in what would normally be a very busy period of trade for them.

“It’s important that businesses restricted by being in Tier 2, understand what financial support is available to them.  Anyone concerned is welcome to contact my office on angela.richardson.mp@parliament.uk for details.”

Cllr Tim Oliver

Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council said: “I know that this is not the news that some of us wanted to hear after four weeks of national restrictions but I do want to thank all our residents for their patience and continued commitment in following the public health guidance, it has had an impact, and on the whole their actions have kept cases down across the county.

“The coming weeks and months will continue to be a challenge to us all, but we cannot be complacent and must continue to do all we can to reduce the spread of this virus.”

All the South East will be in Tier 2 except Slough and Kent, both in Tier 3 and the Isle of Wight which is Tier 1.

There will no longer be different tiers for different boroughs or districts. The prime minister has already made clear the restrictions were not open to negotiation.

Tier 2 restrictions will also apply to London and some will question why Surrey, where the infection rate is lower and falling shares that range.

The rate of positive Covid cases in England “has shown signs of levelling”, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimates one in 85 (1.18%) people in England (about 1,770 cases in Guildford borough) had coronavirus in the week of November 15 to 21, compared with one in 80 the week before.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament the community testing programme was being expanded to focus on areas with the greatest rate of infections.

The programme, open to all local authorities under Tier 3 restrictions, will offer help to get out of the toughest restrictions “as fast as possible”.

The government will work with local authorities to get tests to where they are most needed and also to get people to come forward. The more who get tested, the quicker an area can exit those toughest restrictions, he said.

There is “no quick fix” to the pandemic, he added. “Hope is on the horizon but we still have further to go so we must all dig deep.

“The end is in sight, we mustn’t give up now. We must follow these new rules and make sure our actions today will save lives in future and help to get our country through this.”

Non-essential shops will now be able to re-open across the county but government advice is that travel should be minimised and work from home continued where possible.

Ben Darnton

Ben Darnton, of Ben’s Records, said: “I’m delighted to reopening next week although I’m worried there will be a bit of a Xmas rush. It will be great to speak with my regulars and neighbours in Tunsgate again.

“I’ve lost a lot of money being closed this year so I will be working seven days a week until the next probable lockdown in January.”

And Amanda Masters the CEO of Experience Guildford added: “Tier 2 is better news than Tier 3 for sure. Retailers need a really strong December now to make up for the missed shopping weeks in November. Indications are that a lot of people want to come out and do their shopping in the High Street.

“There are still those that cannot yet operate fully and the hospitality sector is facing tight restrictions, so it is crucial that we all support our local retail and leisure businesses however we can.”

See also: See also: Local Covid-19 Stats

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Responses to All of South East Placed Under Tier 2 Restrictions From December 2

  1. Ian Allen Reply

    November 26, 2020 at 7:53 pm

    Our local pubs in Shere and Gomshall have made enormous efforts to comply with the guidance on corona virus and I think it is shameful that they have been made to close for a month and have now been told they can only open in a limited way. What a way to reward decent behaviour.

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