COVID-19: Leicester's Local Lockdown Measures Revealed As Police To Enforce Measures

30 June 2020, 09:10

Leicester has become the first city in the UK to have a lock lockdown enforced- with Health Secretary Matt Hancock ruling police will enforce the stricter measures.

Leicester has become the first UK city to be put under a local lockdown after COVID-19 cases there are three times higher than the rest of the country, so, what are the stricter measures residents will have to follow, and could other places be next?

The two-week lockdown extension starts from today and Health Secretary Matt Hancock's confirmed Leicestershire Police will be enforcing measures as well as making sure nothing apart from essential shops such as supermarkets and pharmacies are open.

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What lockdown measures does Leicester face?

Now Leicester is effectively returning to lockdown, all non-essential shops that reopened on 15 June will close on 30 June.

Unlike the rest of the country, bars, restaurants and hairdressers will not re-open on 4 July, the date pinned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the next phase of easing lockdown measures.

Schools will close on 2 July, except to vulnerable children and children of key workers, much like at the height of lockdown.

Matt Hancock told the BBC: "Leicester is very significantly worse than other cities."

He said: "It's so important that we get a grip on this spike that has happened in Leicester. We will be closing the shops by law and will be changing the law in the next day or two to do that."

Is travel to Leicester effected?

Again, like at the peak of lockdown in the country, all but essential travel to, from and within the city of Leicester is discouraged.

Residents are being told to stay at home unless absolutely necessary and observe two-metre social distancing.

Schools have also been forced to close because, as revealed by Matt Hancock, of the 'unusually high incidence in children in Leicester' who, although unlikely to become ill themselves, can easily spread the virus to adults.

Many residents have voiced their frustrations at their local neighbours for not adhering to social distancing measures, seeing it as the root of the flare up, especially for business owners who won't be allowed to resume on July 4th.

The government will be looking at other cities and demographics in the country and said they will follow suit with other areas if necessary.

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