Birmingham lockdown restrictions now 'likely' following rise in coronavirus cases
There is a possibility of new lockdown restrictions being enforced in Birmingham following an alarming rise in coronavirus cases in the city.
Local leaders are in talks with national health chiefs today to work what the city needs to do to put a stop to rising cases.
Overnight updates revealed the city's infection rate is now 62.4 per 100,000 people. That means 712 people caught the virus in the seven days up to Saturday.
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Birmingham currently has the third highest coronavirus rate.
Birmingham public health director Dr Justin Varney said today: "This is not a false alarm - we are on the precipice and if we are not careful we will be back where we were in April and May and lives will be lost."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government would provide support for local authorities "especially in the West Midlands, where it’s so important, especially again with cases rising.”
The Mayor of West Midlands, Andy Street, said the imposition of “additional restrictions” were now looking “likely” while stressing no final decisions had yet been taken.
But for now, the Government is only announcing new restrictions in Bolton, which has the highest rate of Covid-19 in the country.
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