‘Decisive action’ promised as Birmingham added to Covid-19 watchlist

Birmingham has been added to the Government’s coronavirus watchlist today as concerns heighten about rising infection rates in the city.

It has been labelled an “area of enhanced support”, which is the middle of three classifactions – in between areas of intervention and areas of concern – that determine the measures taken and the support provided.

Birmingham will benefit from additional testing, locally-led contract tracing and targeted community engagement while additional measures will be considered.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will discuss the “urgent next steps” with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and local council leaders later today.

Hancock said: “To prevent a second peak and keep Covid-19 under control, we need robust, targeted intervention where we see a spike in cases.

“The only way we can keep on top of this deadly virus is through decisive action led by the people who know their areas best, wherever possible through consensus with a local area.”

Birmingham has 30.2 cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of people testing positive has risen to 4.3%. Over half of cases in the last week have been within the 18-34 age demographic.

The watchlist highlights the local authorities of greatest concern but being named can be beneficial as it unlocks additional support.

The focus of local lockdowns remains further north, with areas in Lancashire and Greater Manchester at the top of the Government’s concerns. It has announced further intervention in Oldham, Blackburn and parts of Pendle, although has eased measures in Wigan, Rossendale and Darwen.

Sandwell is already on the watchlist and worries have been increasing in Birmingham, which led to a ban on non-essential visits to care homes as part of measures to help keep cases down.

Birmingham City Council also took action on a bar that was not enforcing social distancing regulations, suspending its licence and removing its designated premises supervisor. West Midlands Police had forced an expedited review after initially issuing a closure notice last weekend after several visits had not resulted in compliance with the Covid-19 rules for venues.
However worries have been increasing in Birmingham, which led to a ban on non-essential visits to care homes as part of measures to help keep cases down.

Earlier this week Birmingham City Council became a pilot area for drop-and-collect coronavirus tests in response to a rise in cases across the city.

The decision to place an area on the watchlist is not simply triggered by the proportion of cases rising above a certain number.

The watchlist is produced by looking at the number of cases and the trends, alongside the ratio of positive tests, an assessment of the local response and plans and wider healthcare data for the area.