Sheffield MP 'very worried' about lockdown easing

Clive Betts warns that deaths are falling ‘very slowly’, there are still many new cases of coronavirus being confirmed, and a second wave would be ‘considerably more damaging than delaying the reopening of the economy’.

Boris Johnson reveals what people meeting outdoors should do if it’s raining

In a lengthy Q&A posted on social media, the Labour MP for Sheffield South East describes the argument for easing the lockdown given the number of new deaths and positive tests as a ‘very important issue and one I am very worried about’.

“Obviously we are no longer in the peak of the virus but I personally am worried about the current situation and speed at which we are easing lockdown,” he says.

“What I can say is deaths are falling (though very slowly) and positive cases of COVID-19 are holding around the 2,000 mark. This is problematic though as people do not get tested the moment they catch the virus but sometime later when they have already been out and about.”

Sheffield among top declining high streets in the UK due to Covid-19, new study reveals

Mr Betts said the daily figures show the state of the pandemic two weeks ago, meaning that by the time we know whether the downward trend is continuing ‘it may be too late to prevent a sizable number of deaths’.

He added: “There are obviously anxieties about the economy and that is doing harm as well but we need to take a cautious and balanced approach, and with a number of health experts speaking about the dangerous speed we are easing the restrictions I for one am concerned we are moving too quickly. A second wave will be considerably more damaging than delaying the reopening of the economy.”

Schools in parts of the country have already started reopening, non-essential shops are due to welcome back customers from June 15 and some pubs and restaurants could open as early as July 4, as the restrictions which have been in place since March are gradually relaxed.

The 9 Yorkshire areas with the highest coronavirus infection rates revealed

Another 359 COVID-19 deaths and 1,871 more confirmed cases were announced yesterday in the UK, and concerns have been raised about the test and trace system being put in place to prevent the spread of the disease.