Warrington set to move into Tier 3 restrictions after council agrees deal with government

Warrington is the latest area of the North West to be placed into Tier 3 restrictions. Credit: PA

Warrington will be the latest part of England to move into Tier 3 restrictions after the council agreed a deal with the government.

The council will receive £5.9 million in additional funding from the government to support the town's public health response and local businesses, with the measures coming into force at one minute past midnight on Thursday 29 October.

Under Tier 3 restrictions pubs and bars not serving food will have to close in the borough, along with soft play areas, bingo halls and bookies will also have to close - it is expected that gyms will be allowed to stay open.

Social mixing in private gardens will also be banned but people will be allowed to meet up in outdoor spaces in groups of no more than six.

The restrictions will be in place for at least 28 days.

The move means that the total number of people in the North West who will be living under the tightest restrictions will rise to over 6 million as the town joins Greater Manchester, The Liverpool City Region and Lancashire in Tier 3.

The MP for Warrington South, Andy Carter, said that the move was inevitable as coronavirus rates remain high with the weekly case rate at 341 per 100,000.

He also said that the rate of infection in over 60s was 195 per 100,000, which is twice the national average.

Leader of Warrington Council, Cllr Russ Bowden, said: "After negotiations with the government, we have agreed a package of measures and funding for Warrington that means our businesses and residents will get extra support.

"This agreement has been the result of positive discussions with government, and whilst we would have ideally liked a little more funding support, ultimately I think we have secured a very good package that will support our businesses and communities as we continue to do all we can to bring case numbers down.

"This has been a difficult decision but we need to prioritise the health of our most vulnerable and elderly people, and we also need to protect hospital capacity as far as possible."