Corby civic leader calls on Prime Minister to shut down non-essential firms amid town's rising case rates

The leader of Corby Borough Council has this afternoon called on the Prime Minister to shut down all non-essential manufacturing facililtes amid rising coronavirus rates in the town.

Around 7,000 people out of Corby's 42,000-strong workforce are in manufacturing and this week, coronavirus cases in the town doubled. Schools also reported more than 50 per cent attendance because parents have no choice but to go to work in the town's many manufacturing and logistics workplaces.

This afternoon, Cllr Beattie has pleaded with Mr Johnson to close some of those businesses that are not essential to stopping the spread of the pandemic.

His letter says: "Whilst it is disappointing we find ourselves in a further national lockdown, given the rising cases of coronavirus in Northamptonshire, as a council we are fully supportive of the steps taken to protect those most at risk of the virus and ensure that our National Health Service is protected from being overwhelmed by this new variant.

"However, I am writing to you because I am extremely concerned about the Government’s stance on allowing non-essential manufacturing facilities to remain open for business and requiring that ‘where people cannot work from home they should continue to travel to their workplace’*.

"Corby has a strong manufacturing economy, and consequently is seeing a disproportionate number of our residents being required to continue to go to work, increasing the risk to themselves and families of spreading the coronavirus.

"Whilst I appreciate there is an economic interest to keeping the businesses running, I do not consider that argument outweighs the risk to those residents’ lives, when options such as furlough are available and further business support could be made available to those impacted.

"I urgently call on the Government to review the current guidance issued in relation to this matter and to strengthen the message that only essential businesses should continue to operate to stop the spread of the virus and save lives."

The borough's MP Tom Purgslove has himself written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to pass on concerns from residents after it was revealed that iForce was still bussing-in dozens of workers from the capital.