Bradford, Barnsley and Kirklees are three areas in the UK that could be hit with a ‘local lockdown’ after it was announced that Leicester would be the first city to return to strict measures.
The news follows after Doncaster, Wakefield and York were reportedly on the list of locations currently being monitored to ensure cases do not rise – with the UK government warning of a “whack-a-mole” approach to the new local lockdowns.
Reported just today, Bradford and Barnsley ranked second and third (respectively) in statistics which reveal England’s highest COVID-19 infection rates, with Bradford reporting 69.4 infections per every 100,000 people, and Barnsley reporting 54.7. The new statistics come from official data, and although local authorities have assured residents that cases are slowly coming down, government sources have warned that more local lockdowns could be “just days away”.
Barnsley Council has warned residents to take “extra care and vigilance” as the area continues to tackle positive cases, with South Yorkshire neighbours Rotherham and Doncaster also ranking highly in terms of infection rates.
Other areas reportedly at risk of local lockdowns include Rochdale, Bedford, Oldham, Rotherham, Tameside, Blackburn and the Kirklees.
Leicester’s local lockdown means that residents have been forced to return to the government’s previous ‘Stay At Home’ rules, just as the entire nation did back in March, meaning non-essential shops have had to close once again, and hospitality businesses will no longer be able to open their doors this Saturday with the rest of the country.
