Today (26 November) The Government has announced that Hyndburn, alongside the rest of Lancashire, will go into the highest restrictions, Tier 3, at the end of lockdown on 2 December.

This means we are on very high alert and several restrictions will be in place, including some business closures.

For full information please follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care made a statement:

On 2 December we will lift the national restrictions across all of England and the following restrictions will be eased:

1. The stay-at-home requirement will end.
2. Non-essential retail, gyms, personal care will reopen. The wider leisure and entertainment sectors will also reopen, although to varying degrees.
3. Communal worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume.
4. People will no longer be limited to seeing one other person in outdoor public spaces, where the rule of 6 will now apply.

In tier 3, hospitality will close except for delivery, drive-through and takeaway, hotels and other accommodation providers must close (except for specific exemptions, such as people staying for work purposes, where people are attending a funeral, or where they cannot return home) and indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and bowling alleys must also close. Elite sport will be played without spectators. Organised outdoor sport can resume, but the Government will advise against higher risk contact sports.

These are not easy decisions, but they have been made according to the best clinical advice, and the criteria that we set out in the Covid-19 Winter Plan.

These are:

1. Case detection rates in all age groups
2. Case detection rates in the over 60s
3. The rate at which cases are rising or falling
4. Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken)
5. Pressure on the NHS.

Cllr Miles Parkinson OBE, Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council said:

“Through working together, we are making progress in our fight against Coronavirus. This hard work needs to continue over the winter months so we can drive down infection rates, not only in Hyndburn but also Nationally. Today it has been announced that Hyndburn, alongside Lancashire, will be under Tier 3 restrictions once the National Lockdown ends next week.  

COVID-19 continues to have a large impact on our local community and our economy, we do not want to prolong this suffering. The sooner we can bring our rates down and get restrictions eased the better. By following the guidelines, you will not only save lives, you will save jobs and businesses, meaning we can re-build sooner.

I would like to remind everyone that the Hyndburn Hub is available and can provide support to all those in urgent need. No one needs to go hungry or without vital supplies. Please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing enquiries@hyndburnbc.gov.uk or calling 01254 388 111.”