Portsmouth likely to end up in tier two or three when national lockdown ends, says council leader

LOCKDOWN-LIKE restrictions are expected to be be extended past December 2 in Portsmouth, according to the council.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The nationwide coronavirus lockdown is currently due to run until next Wednesday, with the country returning to the three-tiered system implemented beforehand.

Prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement confirming this later today, along with news that the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants will be relaxed, and that shops and gyms will be allowed to reopen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson believes lockdown restrictions may continue in the city, due to the infection rate matching what cities like Blackpool and Liverpool had when they moved into the highest tier.

The Covid-19 testing site at Lysses car park in Fareham. Picture: Sarah Standing (151020-7947)The Covid-19 testing site at Lysses car park in Fareham. Picture: Sarah Standing (151020-7947)
The Covid-19 testing site at Lysses car park in Fareham. Picture: Sarah Standing (151020-7947)
Read More
Another coronavirus death is confirmed at Queen Alexandra Hospital

In the seven days up to November 16, Portsmouth had 620 Covid-19 cases – a rate of 288.5 per 100,000 people.

Councillor Vernon-Jackson says Portsmouth will ‘almost certainly' be in tier two or tier three.

He said: ‘We went into the lockdown in tier one – the lowest tier – but I don’t believe we’ll be there on December 2.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Recently, more older people have been infected with the virus, which is what we were worried about and is one of the main metrics the government uses when deciding tiers.

‘Because it’s more prevalent in the community, it’s also easier to catch it yourself.’

Coronavirus cases in Portsmouth are rising fastest among middle-aged residents, according to the director of public health, Helen Atkinson.

Whether Portsmouth gets placed into tier two or three – which would see the tightest restrictions imposed – is down to members of the public following the lockdown guidelines, said Cllr Vernon-Jackson, who is urging everyone to play their part.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We’ve seen fewer parties recently which is encouraging,' he said.

‘The bottom line is that this is still in our hands – if we can get the infection rate back down then we can get a lower level of restriction.

‘Which tier we end up in and for how long depends on members of the public. It’s down to us.’

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March, 270 people have died from Covid-19 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as less adverts, access to our digital edition and mobile app.

Our trial offer starts from £2 a month for the first two months.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.