Lockdown likely to last longer than a month, council leaders warn
Nationwide lockdown restrictions are likely to last well beyond Boris Johnson's four week deadline, council leaders have warned.
MPs are tomorrow set to sign off on lockdown measures lasting until December 2, after the Prime Minister said failing to act now would risk the "medical and moral disaster" of an overrun NHS.
But council leaders across the region questioned whether the measures – which will see all but essential shops and education settings closed – will result in the desired fall in Covid infection rates.
"I fear that some of the pubs will close on Wednesday evening and they will never reopen," he said.
Wolverhampton's Labour council leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said it was clear from the Government's own scientists that a month-long lockdown would not be enough to bring the virus under control.
He said he expects the country to come out of lockdown for a week over Christmas and then return to strict measures in the New Year.
"I'm as fed up as everyone else of the restrictions, but the Government has had to look at the evidence," Mr Brookfield said.
"We have asked a lot of people but we need to continue to stick to the rules until a vaccine is comes in."
In the Commons yesterday Mr Johnson struck a positive note, saying the lockdown would enable the expansion of testing and that there was a "real prospect" of a vaccine early next year.
Commitment
"I believe that these technical developments taken together will enable us to defeat the virus by the spring as humanity has defeated every other infectious disease and I am not alone is this optimism," the PM said.
Councillor Alan White, the leader of Staffordshire County Council, said he had no doubt that residents would "rise to this challenge" of the lockdown.
He added: "I also want to acknowledge how hard this will be for our local businesses, who were just getting back on their feet after the first lockdown in March.
"This lockdown will be especially hard for the tourism industry in our county, which relies on seasonal income and was already hit hard earlier in the year.
"Our economy has already felt the effects of the first lockdown keenly, and will no doubt bear the brunt of a second lockdown too.
"To this end, I welcome the Government’s commitment to extend the furlough scheme, and we will also be lobbying for extra support to our businesses and doing everything we can as a county to help them through this worrying time."
Cases have continued to rise across the West Midlands, with South Staffordshire having the highest rate of 446.5 per 100,000 people in the seven days up to October 29.
