TIER TALKS
Oxford & the Humber, Midlands & Luton: The 16 areas going into Tier 2 from Saturday
OXFORD and the Midlands have been slapped with Tier 2 restrictions set to come in on Saturday - while West Yorkshire moves into Tier 3.
A total of 16 more areas in England will be plunged into tighter lockdown rules as infection rates hit 200 cases per 100,000 in almost all of them.
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The whole of West Yorkshire will plunge into a Tier 3 lockdown starting Monday, the leader of Leeds City Council has confirmed
Huge areas from the Midlands, including Derby city, the whole of High Peak, Dudley and Staffordshire will also have the "high" Covid alert level.
The number of new cases in parts of Yorkshire and the Humber hit 239 cases per 100,000.
Infection rates almost double when looking at 17 to 21 year olds, with 463 cases per 100,000.
Earlier today Oxford City Council confirmed it had been thrown into Tier 2 restrictions, even though infection rates were significantly lower at 137.1 cases per 100,000.
Tier 2 - which means a ban on households meeting indoors - will come into force at a minute past midnight on Saturday.
The areas headed for Tier 2:
- West Midlands: Dudley, Staffordshire, Telford and the Wrekin
- East Midlands: Amber Valley, Bolsover, Derbyshire Dales, Derby City, South Derbyshire, the whole of High Peak; Charnwood
- East of England: Luton
- South East: Oxford City
These measures will be reviewed every 14 days to consider whether they are still appropriate.
It comes as Leeds is heading for the tough Tier 3 restrictions, with 420 cases per 100,000 and hospital admissions have continued to rise - putting pressure on local NHS services.
And the Government has asked Teesside to accept the toughest Tier 3 restrictions.
The rate of fresh infections in Stockton-on-Tees jumped to 461.6 per 100,000.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed discussions with Yorkshire and Leeds over Tier 3 rules were ongoing, telling BBC Radio 4: "We're having discussions later today with Leeds and West Yorkshire where there's also a concerning rise in the number of cases and pressure on the local NHS."
Council leaders for all five West Yorkshire local authorities - Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield met with Government ministers today.
Bradford has one of the worst infection rates in the area with 496.9 cases per 100,000 - or almost 3000 cases in the last 7 days - up from 374.8 per 100,000 in the previous week.
And there have been concerning reports that hospitals in Leeds have hit "98 per cent capacity".
One attendee at a Leeds City Council data briefing yesterday said the situation is dire, and new admissions are past the point they were at in the April peak.
It would mean another 2.3 million Brits will be plunged into the toughest restrictions, as fears grow over another national lockdown.
Leader of Bradford Council Susan Hinchcliffe stressed the talks with the Government were not a "stand off" with Downing Street, after Manchester Mayor's Andy Burnham almighty row over drastic new rules.
Ms Hinchcliffe, who is also chairwoman of the West Yorkshire Combine Authority, said the Government was "unflinching in their resolve" to put the regions into the highest tier of lockdown.
But the Yorkshire leader pushed for a "national lockdown", saying it was "the only thing that's worked."
Mr Jenrick said the Government will "try everything in our power" to avoid "a blanket national lockdown".
And he warned it could lead to repeated shutdowns.
The Housing Secretary said coronavirus rates are in a "bad place" all over the country.
Ms Hinchcliffe told BBC Radio 4: "I wouldn't call it a stand-off."
There has been a determined push back from the Kirklees Council's Outbreak Control Board, including Tory MPs Jason McCartney and Mark Eastwood, who have said it would be "devastating".
Birmingham and the West Midlands are also expected to be thrown into the highest Covid alert level.
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