Bradford Council leader urges residents to follow new Government guidelines coming into force tomorrow
All parts of Bradford will be subject to tighter restrictions, as well as neighbouring Calderdale and Kirklees
Last updated 21st Sep 2020
Tighter restrictions on gatherings in Bradford will once again apply to the whole District.
Last month Government announced that nine wards in Bradford would be released from the restrictions – which prevent people from different households meeting in gardens or homes.
But today it has been announced that these wards will now fall back in line with the rest of the District.
The announcement was made as part of a swathe of lockdown measures designed to slow infection rates in the North of the country.
The wards, in the Shipley and Keighley constituencies, had been released from the tougher lockdown measures after lobbying from the two Conservative MPs that represent the area, Robbie Moore (Keighley) and Philip Davies (Shipley).
Following today’s announcement Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council said: “Unfortunately infection rates in the whole of Bradford District continue to increase.
“For that reason we ask people to support the Secretary of State’s decision today to reinstate local restrictions in the nine wards in which he relaxed them on 28 August.
“In the last few weeks it’s been noticeable that, as the infection rate has risen, it has also increased markedly in some of those wards which had previously come out of local restriction. We are an interconnected place and we’re dealing with a virus which travels fast once it gets hold, it doesn’t respect ward or constituency boundaries.
“If you live in the 21 wards that are currently in local restrictions then this latest announcement means that there is no change for you this week.
“In the nine wards that recently came out of local restrictions, from next Tuesday those residents will go back into the local restrictions and will only be allowed to socialise with their own household, or bubble.
“We are all at risk and everyone needs to continue to stay safe, take the utmost care to minimise the spread of this terrible virus, and protect vulnerable people.
“The infection rate is rising. Hospital admissions are rising. It is everyone’s responsibility to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading. Thank you to residents, staff, the NHS and volunteers across the district for working so hard to reduce infection rates and to support our communities.
“We all need to continue to follow the Government’s guidelines so that we can contain the virus, save lives and prevent further restrictions on our district. If the infection rates go down then we will be able to go back to national restrictions which other parts of the country are following where the ‘Rule of 6’ applies.
“But, as we have seen from other parts of the North this week, further sharp increases in infection rates could lead to the Government deciding on further economic restrictions which cost jobs and livelihoods. We all want to avoid this.
“Keeping two metres apart from each other, regular hand-washing, and wearing a face covering indoors will help to beat this virus and protect our loved ones and jobs.”