Tighter restrictions announced for Liverpool City Region and Warrington

Tighter measures have been confirmed for Liverpool City Region and Warrington by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Residents in Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton, as well as Warrington, are being urged not to mix with people from different households socially, except in outdoor public settings.

He also announced that measures in Bolton with the rest of Greater Manchester, which is expected to mean pubs can reopen in the town.

There are no other changes to the measures already in place in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, West Midlands or Leicester,

Hancock also said people should limit themselves to “essential travel” only, which includes going to work and school. In Liverpool there are now 268 cases per 100,000 people, he said.

£7m of funding will be provided to local authorities in Liverpool City Region, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlebrough.

Liverpool City Region leaders had earlier warned its economy and public services “may collapse” if restrictions hit the economy at the same time as the region tries to limit the rise in cases of Covid-19.

A joint statement from the metro mayor Steve Rotheram and the leaders of the six councils said it is “already at breaking point” and needs action now.

It said: “With new restrictions – and who knows for how long they might be needed – our economy and public services may collapse.

“If we do not act now, we will see a legacy of unemployment and ill-health that will cost lives for generations to come.

“So, today, we are calling on the Government to work with us. If Government decide that new restrictions are required, they must also provide a comprehensive package of financial support for our economy and our public services.”

The local politicians said that cases are now averaging “well over 200 per 100,000 people across our region – in some boroughs, much higher” and called for support from Westminster.

They said: “To help us minimise the length of restrictions required, we must secure from the Government an immediate uplift in testing capacity, that matches testing resources to the high level of cases in our region.

“We are fully committed to working in partnership with national government, but we need the right support and resource to help us at a regional level. And we need it now.”

Merseyside and Halton, along with other parts of the North West, had stricter measures introduced on September 22. They included not socialising with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in homes or gardens and hospitality venues being table service only.

However public health data shows cases continuing to rise which has led to the tighter restrictions being brought in.

The Liverpool City Region leaders’ statement acknowledged they “all understand why further restrictions may be needed” but warned “any further restrictions will deal a hammer blow to our economy”.

They added: “While we protect lives, and our NHS, we must act now to protect the businesses that provide the livelihoods and jobs upon which our 1.6m residents depend.”

More to follow.