The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
There are mixed messages about which COVID-19 tier Spalding will be put in this week.
South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes is still optimistic that the district will drop down to Tier 2.
But council leader Lord Gary Porter is convinced that the whole county is likely to stay in Tier 3.
Meanwhile, reports from Whitehall suggested rural areas would be ‘decoupled’ from their higher-risk urban neighbours. Which could mean South Holland is looked at separately from the rest of the county.
And later reports indicated the loosening of restrictions over the Christmas period might also be reviewed.
“I really think, in my opinion, we are likely to stay in three. I can’t see it happening any other way,” Lord Porter said earlier this week.
He said he would be concentrating his efforts on trying to secure extra money for those in the hospitality industry who have been hit hard by the pandemic and again by being in the toughest tier.
“The statutory amount we have been given is not enough. You really can’t run a pub on £250 a week,” he said.
“The discretionary money we have been given is supposed to last until 2022, but we are trying to get more,” he added.
London joining the top tier, with no distinction between the boroughs, was an indication of how areas were being looked at, he said.
“Whatever tier we are in, people have to stick to the hands, face and space message. It’s really important to minimise any chances of giving it to those we love,” said Lord Porter. “There is a lot of wrangling going on ahead of any announcement,.”
But MP Sir John Hayes (pictured) is still hopeful that South Holland will be put into a lower tier when the announcement is made tomorrow.
He said that he believed South Holland would be taken out of Tier 3 even if other parts of Lincolnshire remain with the toughest restrictions.
Sir John argued that South Holland should never have been in Tier 3 as it had one of the lowest infection rates in the country at the time.
He said last week he had secured an agreement from the Government that areas within counties would be looked at on their own merits when tiers are reviewed.
Sir John said: “I’m on the case. They will be looking at individual districts
“Unfortunately South Kesteven has moved the wrong way with an increase in cases, but South Holland is still below both the Lincolnshire average and the national average.
“South Holland has been lower than other places which have been placed in Tier 2 so I remain hopeful and I’m still making our case very vigorously.
“My feeling is very few areas will be moved but I’m hoping we might be one of them.”
Sir John says Peterborough Hospital has seen a slight rise in the number of cases but it’s still below the national average.
He added: “Different treatment options mean that people are spending less time in hospital and fewer are having to be admitted to intensive care, which means the hospital is under less pressure than it was in the spring.
“Scientists and medics will always err on the side of caution, but there has to be a balance. People’s well being and futures are at stake here.”
