The whole of West Yorkshire will move in tier 3 restrictions as of Monday, it has been confirmed.
Following days of negotiations, residents of the area – which includes Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield – will no longer be able to mix with others indoors, with businesses such as pubs that do not serve food, soft play areas, betting shops and casinos required to close. Coming into effect at 12.01am on Monday morning, Leeds council leader Judith Blake confirmed the news this evening, as cases in the city continue to soar.
Judith Blake said of the update: “We will be moving into Tier 3 on one minute past midnight.
“This is a very difficult decision for us to take and we recognise the significant economic impact that it will have, but the virus is at a stage in which we need to take measures.”
Speaking of cases in the area, Julian Hartley, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said that Leeds had “exceeded the peak position we were in earlier this year in April – this has brought additional pressure on our staff.
“We have had to make adjustments, and have been forced to halt some operational procedures.
“We must see a downturn infection rates – this is absolutely crucial.”
The news follows South Yorkshire‘s move into the highest Coronavirus restrictions just last weekend, with East Riding also seeing a level increase to tier 2 just today.
Yorkshire now has higher cases than both Liverpool and Manchester, which were pinpointed as UK hotspots for the virus just a matter of weeks ago.
This is a breaking news story, more as it follows.
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