National lockdown looms just as new Covid-19 cases are falling in Northamptonshire

Chief Medical Officer to spell out country is at "a critical point" in 11am media briefing
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Northamptonshire could be hit with the next national lockdown just as the number of new Covid-19 cases in the county is tumbling.

England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty will use a televised media briefing to spell out how the nation is at a "critical point" and faces "a very challenging winter period" at 11am today (Monday).

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Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to tighten restrictions for a two-week ‘circuit break’ in a bid to slow a second wave of coronavirus in the UK.

Measures could include rules preventing households mixing and forcing pubs and restaurants to close early or even return to takeaway only services as they were between March and July.

Yet Northamptonshire is currently seeing its lowest number of new cases in more than six weeks, since the outbreak of 300-plus cases at the Greencore sandwich-making factory in Northampton persuaded Public Health England to declare it an area of intervention.

Latest Government figures released yesterday showed a weekly average of 20.87 new cases per 100,000 of the population since last Sunday, less than half the 43.52 from a week earlier.

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Corby also remains on the PHE watch list yet latest data suggests the rate of new infections is now down to 29.07 per week per 100,000 of the borough’s population, down by 40 per cent.

Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty will use an 11am media briefing to spell out options for battling a second wave of Covid-19 this winter. Photo: Getty ImagesChief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty will use an 11am media briefing to spell out options for battling a second wave of Covid-19 this winter. Photo: Getty Images
Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty will use an 11am media briefing to spell out options for battling a second wave of Covid-19 this winter. Photo: Getty Images

Issues with testing capacity nationally have made some cast doubts on the quality of data as many people with coronavirus symptoms have struggled to get tests.

NOW READ THIS: How to tell the difference between symptoms of a cold and Covid-19Local officials, though, insist there has been no significant change in the number of tests being carried out in Northamptonshire and the issues are being caused by a rise in demand..

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned yesterday the country is facing a "tipping point.”

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He added : “We have a choice. If everybody follows the rules then we can avoid further national lockdown."

Corby remains an "area of concern" on Public Health England's watchlistCorby remains an "area of concern" on Public Health England's watchlist
Corby remains an "area of concern" on Public Health England's watchlist

Many areas have already had restrictions imposed but proposals are being worked up for a two-week period of measures nationwide.

This could see essential travel to schools and workplaces continuing, but restaurants and bars would run on restricted hours and different households would be asked not to mix at all.

County Council public health consultant Rhosyn Harris admitted any restrictions need to be well thought-out to be effective.

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She told Friday's local media briefing: "Risk of imposing restrictions on the night-time economy and not on households mixing is you shift people's activity to somewhere else.

Source: coronavirus.data.gov.ukSource: coronavirus.data.gov.uk
Source: coronavirus.data.gov.uk

"If you close down the night time economy entirely then there is a risk people go home and start partying at home

"Any intervention taken needs to be mindful of level of engagement already in county and where people are at with this.

"Because we've seen weeks and months of giving guidance to avoid mixing as much as possible and people are fine with that advisory guidance, whether its two weeks or otherwise, it's more important to look at where those restrictions are placed and how they are implemented to make sure we're affecting people's behaviour in an effective way.

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"Whether it's two weeks of restrictions or something else, I think the most important thing is where these restrictions are implemented and how so we are affecting people's behaviour in an effective way as they may have unintended consequences".