Staffordshire’s police chief says it is “critical” that people follow new coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
The new national rules will come into force for four weeks from tomorrow (5th November).
It will mean new restrictions on people mixing with others from different households, while non-essential shops will also close.
Staffordshire Police’s Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said:
“As a police force, we recognise that the last nine months have been very challenging for people and will continue to be so, as we face these latest restrictions.
“We know the majority of people have done their best to follow the regulations in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, for which we sincerely thank you all.
“But in Staffordshire the virus is spreading rapidly and in particular hospital admissions are increasingly dramatically which is putting huge pressure on healthcare services.
“So our priority must now be to work together to control the spread of the virus across the region and help prevent local healthcare services being overwhelmed.
“All of us need to focus, adjust and adapt to do the best we can in the circumstances including taking personal responsibility to ensure we follow the rules on social distancing, personal hygiene and the use of face coverings.
“It is critical that the people of Staffordshire closely comply with the revised measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our friends and family.”
Chief Constable Gareth Morgan, Staffordshire Police
Chief Constable Morgan added that officers would be enforcing the new restrictions where people not following them.
“To the minority who sadly do not accept the rules and mistakenly believe they do not apply to them, be prepared to face higher levels of enforcement.
“We will be stepping up patrols, using robust enforcement consistently and working closely with partners to ensure a high level of adherence to these new restrictions to control the virus.
“Thank you again to the vast majority of people who are working hard and making sacrifices to play their part in bringing the virus under control so we can return to a more normal way of life.”
Chief Constable Gareth Morgan, Staffordshire Police
