'Further Covid restrictions now required in Leeds and West Yorkshire,' Robert Jenrick warns
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said "further restrictions are now required urgently in Leeds and West Yorkshire" in a bid to curb the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the area.
Mr Jenrick said: "We've had discussions, very constructive discussions for a number of days now, I think that they do need to come to a conclusion in the next 48 hours so that further measures can be introduced there. I'm hopeful that we can have further discussions today."
He added: "The very clear advice from the Chief Medical Officer and the Joint Biosecurity Centre is that further restrictions are now required urgently in Leeds and West Yorkshire."
His comments come as a major new study into Covid-19 by Imperial College London found the number of infections in Yorkshire and The Humber has more than doubled every nine days.
Mr Jenrick said: "We'll continue to follow the data and if parts of the country need to move to Tier 3 then we will work with local leaders to make that happen."
The Communities Secretary added that in Leeds and West Yorkshire there is "also a concern in the rise in the number of cases - where the number of older people who are becoming infected is rising and where there is serious pressure on local hospitals and the NHS".
Leeds City Council held a briefing on Wednesday detailing the latest data for the city, which recorded an infection rate of 420.6 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to October 22, up from 382.2 the previous week.
West Yorkshire leaders met with government ministers on Wednesday and discussions are set to continue today about the next steps the region will take to combat the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
When asked about whether the UK should follow in the similar steps as France and Germany with a national lockdown, Mr Jenrick said the UK is following a more "localised approach".
He said: "We are determined to have a proportionate localised approach because although the number of cases is rising in all parts of the country, it is more concentrated in some so I think it is right that we take decisive action where the virus is most concentrated but it is important that everybody now irrespective of where they live follows the advice."
"We'll obviously keep everything under review but we do not think that now is the right time for a blanket national lockdown because although that can be a simpler and clear message, it also wreaks a great deal of harm to people's livelihoods and broader health and well-being."