Opposition leader calls for Sheffield lockdown 'before government imposes it'

Coun Shaffaq Mohammed, leader of the Liberal Democrats, recommended a local lockdown now – with no household mixing - instead of ‘waiting for it to be imposed by the government’.

He said: “On the Covid issue in Sheffield, there is no local leadership. Just blaming the government. There has been a massive increase in the infection rate and we’re sticking with the current local strategy and plan.

“We are told we are two to three weeks behind the North West and North East region so why are we not taking action locally now rather than waiting for the government to impose a lockdown on our city? We need to lead our city, not simply wait to follow government instructions.”

It follows a full council meeting in which Greg Fell, director for public health, presented the latest data on Covid-19 in Sheffield.

In the seven days to October 3 Sheffield had an average of 237 positive cases a day and the age profile of those testing positive had shifted to 28.

He raised concern about the ‘exponential’ growth in cases among young people affecting the elderly. He added there was a sustained increase week-on-week in the number of people being hospitalised and put on ventilated beds and that Covid was being recorded on death certificates again.

The city is currently in the ‘enhanced support’ category. Mr Fell said it would be a ‘difficult autumn’ and they would ‘intensify’ efforts in prevention, management of individual outbreaks, enforcement and messaging. But there are no plans to change the current strategy.

On local lockdown, he said: “There is lots of talk everywhere about lockdowns. If government changes its view of Sheffield, it will change its view.”

Earlier this week, Mr Fell said it was a 'matter of when, not if' Sheffield went into lockdown.

Sheffield has an Outbreak Control Board that meets fortnightly with the aim of preventing and responding to outbreaks.

Areas in the UK currently with local restrictions include Greater Manchester, Leicester, Newcastle, Durham and Northumberland.