Rotherham Council leader brands Government's approach to Tier 3 restrictions "tawdry"

Rotherham is to move into the very high category under the government's new Coronavirus tier system.

The restrictions will come into force from one minute past midnight on Saturday October 24 and cover all four local authority areas in South Yorkshire – Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

These stricter lockdown measures are due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases - Rotherham currently has 370 cases per 100,000 population, and has seen 343 coronavirus related deaths so far.

Barnsley currently has 415, Doncaster 316 and Sheffield 395 cases per 100,000 population.

Councillor Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, says no "meaningful negotiations" have taken place between the government and local authority leaders, and that the government "already had a template of measures and funding in mind."

He added: "Over the last few weeks, we have seen alarming increases in the rates of coronavirus infections in Rotherham, as in the rest of South Yorkshire. Our hospital has gone from only a handful of Covid patients to nearly 50 and it is clear that if that rate of increase continues we run the very real risk of seeing local health services overwhelmed.

"Our priority therefore must be the safety of the public of Rotherham. Whilst no one will welcome further restrictions, I believe these are proportionate to the risks that we face. I very much hope that with these rules in place, we can pull together and turn around the infection rates. If we can then we will be able to relax these new rules quickly. If we cannot, then further restrictions cannot be ruled out.

"However, there is nothing in the announcement today that the government could not have decided to introduce days ago. There have been no meaningful negotiations with local leaders. It has become clear over the last few days during our conversations with government that they already had a template of measures and funding in mind. We need and we welcome the support for businesses and employees who are affected - in so far as it goes.

"But whilst the government has talked localism in reality local councils have been used as political cover, either for restrictions deemed politically unpalatable to the Tory right, or for delaying life saving measures. People should be in no doubt that every day that has passed has made it more likely that more people will fall ill.

"A government in paralysis has used our conversations as displacement activity, throwing dozens of civil servants into meetings with our officials for no discernible reason other than to find ways to say “no” to reasonable requests. I have personally found the government's approach to be tawdry."

A financial rescue package of £41m has been announced for South Yorkshire, consisting of £30m to support the region's businesses and £11m for local authorities to finance public health measures such as contact tracing.