Leicester lockdown: Pubs and restaurants may stay closed for two more weeks
Leicester may be forced to extend restrictions on restaurants and pubs for a further two weeks due to a local coronavirus flare up, according to the city’s mayor.
Sir Peter Soulsby said today that the government recommended that England’s current social distancing restrictions, due to be lifted on Saturday, are not lifted for the Midlands city.
Soulsby told BBC Radio 4 that Leicester may “remain restricted for two weeks longer than the rest of the country”.
However, Soulsby said that the government may not be able to force the city to lock down if the local council does not want to.
He said the government’s advice did not “provide us with the information we need if we are to remain restricted for two weeks longer than the rest of the country”.
Home secretary Priti Patel yesterday said that Leicester would likely be the first English city to be put into a local Covid-19 lockdown.
The Sunday Times first reported that Leicester could be headed back into lockdown, with 658 new cases in the fortnight to 16 June.
The upsurge in cases reportedly comes after outbreaks in food production plants, as well as one hospital.
There have been seven coronavirus outbreaks in food processing plants across the country.
Experts say the facilities’ cold conditions and manner of work provide ideal environment for the virus to grow.
Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Patel said: “The health secretary [Matt Hancock] was in touch with many of us over the weekend explaining some of the measures to support on testing and resources that will go into the local authorities as well.
“With local flare ups, it’s right we have a localised solution in terms of infection control, social distancing, testing and many of the tools that actually within the Public Health England space will come together to control the virus.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last month, when he revealed the government’s “roadmap” to easing social distancing restrictions, that localised lockdowns could be implemented to combat coronavirus flare ups.