Takeaways in Sheffield are the ‘worst offenders for not following coronavirus rules’

Clive Betts, the MP for Sheffield South East, says most pubs and restaurants have been good at complying with the restrictions in place, including the 10pm curfew and social distancing requirements, with takeaways proving the ‘real challenge’.

The Labour MP was speaking as the city waits to hear what new restrictions it might face to curb the rising rate of coronavirus transmission in the city, with Boris Johnson expected to set out details this afternoon of a new three-tier lockdown system for England which could include the closure of pubs and restaurants in areas with the highest infection rates.

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"What I’m being told in Sheffield by the environmental health officers is that by and large the pubs and restaurants are following the regulations pretty well,” he said.

"The takeaways are the real challenge. They’re often not following the regulations at all, whether it be face masks, social distancing or closing at 10pm.

"The council needs the powers and the resources to regulate those premises and if they’re not following the rules to close them down.”

Four pubs and a takeaway were last month ordered to close by Sheffield Council for breaching Covid-19 rules, with reports of customers dancing, hugging and kissing at some venues, but all have been allowed to reopen.

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Mr Betts would not say what restrictions he thinks should be imposed in Sheffield, where the weekly Covid-19 infection rate has risen to 439.3 new cases per 100,000 people, from 263.0 during the previous seven days.

But he believes local experts should get to decide what form they take, rather than the Government.

“My view is that more of those decisions should be taken at a local level, on the advice of the director of public health,” he said.

"I don’t think you can have a blanket approach across the whole country. You have to target it and look at what’s happening in individual areas and give the environmental health and public health officers in those areas the powers and resources to properly monitor and deal with those cases.”

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Mr Betts said that included funding a locally run test and trace system because the national one which is already in place ‘isn’t working’.

"We have to make sure people are sticking to the current rules. It’s no use having rules if people aren’t following them,” he said.

"The vital thing is to make sure you contact people who’ve been in contact with someone who’s been infected and get them to isolate.

"You can have all the rules in the world but if you don’t follow it through and get people to isolate they’re worthless, and all the evidence is showing that the test and trace system isn’t working at the moment.

"I would like to see harsher penalties for people who don’t follow the rules but better compensation for those who have to isolate and lose their income as a result.”

Mr Betts added that he didn’t know which tier Sheffield is likely to be placed into, but he expects it will be in tier two, which it is thought will include a ban on households meeting similar to those already in place across much of the north.