'Disappointing and alarming': South Yorkshire police chief responds to new lockdown

South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has described the second national coronavirus lockdown as ‘disappointing and alarming’.
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Dr Alan Billings said opportunities to contain the spread of the virus after the first lockdown were ‘squandered’.

He said: “It is both disappointing and alarming that we are now to enter a second lockdown.

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“It is disappointing because it seems that all the sacrifices that were made the first time, and the opportunities that gave to put in place a national test, trace and isolate system, were squandered.

South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan BillingsSouth Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings
South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings

“Many lives and livelihoods are being lost, and the well-being of all has been affected, as a result.

“It is alarming because the virus is not being contained and the winter will soon be upon us when it will spread more vigorously.”

He urged people to abide by the new restrictions, set to come into force on Thursday.

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“A second lockdown will only work if this time the track, trace and isolate plan is delivered and if the restrictions are fully observed,” he added.

“If the police are to enforce the new measures with full public support, the public will need to feel that this time the government has a realistic plan and communicates it to us clearly and consistently. In particular, we need to know when it will be safe to ease the lockdown. What is the road map out?

“People have become less trusting because the national approach to suppressing the virus has seemed too much like whack-a-mole and less like a consistent strategy with a clear endpoint.

“As a result we have started to see too many people flouting the rules and gathering unsafely in numbers, especially recently.

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“The infection is potentially life-threatening in itself and could lead to many others with serious illnesses not being able to access treatment speedily if the NHS becomes overwhelmed again this winter.

“The police will continue to seek to persuade people to obey the law, but no one should be in any doubt that the law will be enforced, for all our sakes.”

Under the new lockdown, schools will remain open this time to avoid education being affected.