Source: Wakefield Council – 12/10/2020, PR-9639
The Leader of Wakefield Council has warned the situation is now nearing a critical stage as local restrictions come into force in the Wakefield district, and urges residents to act now by following the rules to reduce the spread of the virus.
The Government has today announced that additional restrictions will be in place for the Wakefield district from Wednesday (14 October).
The move comes after Wakefield, alongside the West and South Yorkshire regions, have been confirmed as Local Alert Level 2 (high alert) on the Government’s three tier alert system due to the rise in transmission.
The district has seen a surge in cases with 191.8 per 100,000 people now testing positive in Wakefield, compared to last week when it was 106.2 per 100,000.
The new alert level will see extra restrictions being imposed on Wakefield residents. This means that from Wednesday people in the Wakefield district cannot:
The rule of six still applies when meeting in outdoor settings, including in private gardens. People can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, for work or to access education, but should look to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible.
People can holiday outside of the area, but should only do so with the people they live with or have formed a support bubble with.
Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “The situation in the district is nearing such a critical stage. We all need to collectively act now to help control the rapidly increasing infection rate.
“I know this will be challenging for everybody and will have a huge impact on all our daily lives. But the actions we take now are vital to protecting each other and saving lives.
“If we can all play our part, the sooner we can have some restrictions lifted. If we don’t, the more restrictive the rules will become and the stark reality is that more lives will be sadly lost to this virus in our district.
“So I urge everyone to please follow these new restrictions at all times and let’s beat this virus together.”
Anna Hartley, Director of Public Health for the Wakefield district, said: “Cases are continuing to rise at a rapid rate. We must all take action now to help keep ourselves and others safe.
“If you have symptoms, please act quickly – self-isolate and get tested. Please do not ignore any symptoms you might have, however mild they may be, as you could be unwittingly spreading the virus to others who are more vulnerable at risk.
“Please remember that you can make a massive impact on your own health and the health of family and friends if you keep following the new measures set out by Government and these simple rules:
Jo Webster, Chief Officer at NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We are at a critical stage of the journey. We know that we can expect a time delay between a rise in infection rates and some people becoming poorly enough to need to be admitted to hospital. Of those people who are admitted to hospital some will become very seriously unwell and sadly we know that some will die. Hospital admissions are already starting to increase across the district. We need to act now to break that cycle and we can only do that by working together. Please help us to help you – follow the new restrictions and slow the spread.”
Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms – of a new continuous cough, high temperature or loss of taste or smell – is urged to get a test by accessing local testing or by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.
The local testing service is available from Monday to Friday and bookings for appointments can be made at www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 01924 224497. Or email the person’s name and contact details to wakefield.covidtesting@nhs.net so the booking team can get in touch.
The local testing service will prioritise essential workers and school children in order to keep essential services running and support schools across the district to remain open.
Those without symptoms (asymptomatic) should not be seeking a test unless they have been advised to do so by a health professional, Public Health England or the Council’s public health teams – it could take a test away from someone who really needs it.
Full details of the latest Government restrictions are available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus
