Lichfield and Burntwood could be moved to the ‘high alert’ COVID-19 status by the weekend as part of a bid to stem the rise in cases across Staffordshire.
No exact date for the change of level has been confirmed yet, but Staffordshire County Council confirmed it could be in place in the coming days.
Council leader Cllr Alan White said the alert level would be reviewed after 14 days.
“Our residents and businesses have made huge efforts to keep our county safe and open, but despite this, cases continue to rise rapidly and we are now facing tighter restrictions.
“This year, Staffordshire has showed what it does best – pulling together and supporting our communities, but now we need to redouble our efforts to avoid any further restrictions and protect our county.
“We can, and we must rise, to this new challenge, but it is down to each and every one of us to stick to the new rules when they do come into force to help keep Staffordshire safe and open for business.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
The change will see additional restrictions on people mixing indoors, with only those in support bubbles able to meet in private homes or indoor venues.
Dr Richard Harling, director of health and care at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“The virus is spreading in Staffordshire largely through social contact, so this extra guidance on mixing indoors will hopefully help reduce the rate of infection.
“By sticking to the COVID high alert rules, we have the best chance of not only curbing the spread of infection, but also of having these extra measures removed as quickly as possible.”
Dr Richard Harling
Full details of the guidance on the alert levels can be found here.
