Coronavirus: Peterborough could see ‘rapid Covid rise’ if it returns to pre-lockdown behaviours

Peterborough will see a rapid rise in coronavirus cases if it returns to Tier 1 restrictions once the national lockdown ends, according to its director of public health.
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Peterborough saw a 40 per cent increase in cases between November 4-11 compared to the previous week, with the vast majority of people becoming infected just ahead of lockdown, Dr Liz Robin said.

But she stated the rapid rise was more about the rules themselves rather than people not following them.

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Before the new national lockdown began earlier this month, places in England were separated into three tiers depending on how quickly the infection was spreading.

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Coronavirus news

Peterborough was in Tier 1 which had the fewest restrictions, including six people being allowed to meet up indoors or outdoors.

Explaining the recent rapid rise in infections in Peterborough, Dr Robin said: “It’s not people not behaving. The rules we had before lockdown in Tier 1 - the question everyone is asking is if that’s enough because it allowed social mixing.

“So maybe the balance was not quite right to stop cases multiplying.”

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Asked whether Peterborough may move to a higher tier if a tiered approach is re-introduced following the end of the national lockdown, Dr Robin replied: “We don’t know what the national restrictions will be, but if we came out of lockdown on December 2 and went back to same situation and behaviours in the week before lockdown, we will see another rapid increase in cases. So we have to do something to change that to keep the rate much flatter.

“That’s what we need to do to keep our communities safe and to stop the NHS being overloaded. We need to do something so it’s not the same as the week before lockdown.”

Currently, the virus is spreading in Peterborough at the fastest rate since the first national lockdown, with more than 200 per 100,000 population infected with Covid-19.

Dr Robin said there is a balance to be struck between keeping young people in education and the economy going while controlling the spread of the virus.

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And she added that it’s important people realise where the highest risks of infections are.

“They are either in crowded places, closed places with poor ventilation and places where people keep into close contact and can’t keep 2m distance,” she said.

“It’s not about a brief set of rules but keeping away from places where the risks are highest.”