Non-essential shops, hairdressers, gyms will close from tomorrow when Northamptonshire goes into Tier Four

Northamptonshire will face tougher Covid-19 restrictions from TOMORROW after being put into Tier Four, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced today.

Non-essential shops, personal service businesses such as hairdressers and gyms must close under the new rules following imposed in a bid to overcome a new more virulent strain of the virus.

People will only be able to meet up with one other person they do not live with, and only in public places.

A total of 23 areas across England are moved into Tier Four including neighbouring Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

Another 11 are escalated into Tier Three.

A statement from the Department of Health said: "Between 18 and 24 December the weekly case rate in England rose to 402.6 per 100,000, a 32 per cent increase on the previous week. The NHS reports 14,915 patients have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in the past week, an 18 per cent increase on the week before.

"Evidence shows the new strain of COVID-19 is increasing in the South West, Midlands and parts of the North West. The majority of the cases identified in London, the South East and the East of England are of the new variant.

"Infection rates have increased faster than expected in these areas where the new strain has been circulating and stronger measures are required to get the virus under control.

"Rates in the East Midlands have increased to 256.1 per 100,000, a 17% increase on the previous week. Rates in the West Midlands have increased to 273.5 per 100,000, a 23 per cent increase on the previous week.

"In the North West, rates have increased by 31 per cent to 223.9 per 100,000. In the South West, there has been a 37 per cent increase in cases to 175.1 cases per 100,000. While rates in the South West may be lower than other areas, the data shows a sharp upwards trajectory."

Mr Hancock's announcement follows record numbers of positive tests in Northamptonshire and 42 deaths in since December 20 days in county hospitals and care homes.

Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital are currently treating 270 Covid-positive patients and say they are full as they battle winter illnesses and staff shortages caused by coronavirus.

Speaking on behalf of both hospitals, NGH chief executive Deborah Needham, said: “We are experiencing one of our busiest times at the moment and are seeing an increase in those people needing to come to our A&E departments at both of our hospitals with Covid symptoms.

“We currently have 270 patients across both hospitals with Covid and, including our normal non-Covid patients both hospitals are full.

"We expect that as winter progresses and with the new COVID variant these pressures are likely to remain for the next few months.

"Due to this additional pressure and the need for beds to treat those who are seriously unwell, we are having to scale back and postpone some of our non-urgent outpatient and elective activity. If a patient’s appointment or operation has to be postponed we will contact them directly.

“All of our staff are doing amazing things every day to care for our patients and each other in challenging circumstances. I am so proud of what they are doing and I know they will continue to support our local communities during these difficult few weeks and months"

NHS England confirmed on Wednesday nine more deaths among coronavirus patients in Northamptonshire hospital over four days between Boxing Day and December 29 taking the toll to 129 at Northampton General Hospital and 88 at Kettering since November 2.

Office for National Statistics data also today confirmed eight Covid-related deaths reported in county care homes during a five-day period up to Christmas Eve and 47 in the last month.

Northamptonshire was only escalated into Tier Three as a very high risk area on Boxing Day in response to the discovery of a faster-spreading new variant of the virus.

But a record 585 positive tests were reported in the latest 24-hour period to 4pm on Monday, taking the total to nearly 3,000 in the last week — more than a thousand more than in the week before Christmas.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Hancock said: ""The 'suppress the virus' bit has got a whole lot harder since the new variant really got going over December.

"Now the majority of the new cases in the UK are the new variant. It is much, much easier to transmit from one person to another."

Northampton, South Northamptonshire and Daventry have seen the biggest rises, sending the weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people towards 400.

Rates in Corby, Kettering and East Northants have not accelerated as fast.

But areas bordering the county — Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Bedford and Oxfordshire — were already in Tier Four, putting pressure on the Government to include more people in the highest tier of restrictions.

Many business have struggled to recover after shops were shut for 2½ months — and the entertainment sector for even longer — following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement of a national lockdown in March.