Tier 3 'is likely for Christmas' despite Covid drop-off, warns MP
The region is likely to be stuck in Tier 3 for Christmas despite a sharp fall in Covid cases, an MP has warned.
Case numbers and infection rates across the Black Country and parts of Staffordshire are plummeting ahead of the Government’s review of the tiered lockdown next Wednesday, raising hopes of a drop down to Tier 2.
But Tory MP Michael Fabricant said he expects things to stay as they are until after Christmas.
He said Ministers feared that relaxing restrictions too early could lead to a spike in cases over the festive period, leading to harsher lockdown measures being imposed in the new year.
And parts of the region with low rates were likely to suffer from getting “lumped in” with areas such as Stoke-on-Trent, he said, which has the ninth highest infection rate in the country.
According to the latest figures, Dudley had a rate of 209.9 cases per 100,000 population in the seven days to December 3, a 64 per cent drop from a peak of 577.1 recorded on November 14.
Wolverhampton’s peak of 375.5 cases per 100,000 people came on November 17. It has now fallen by 35 per cent to 243.
Cannock Chase had a rate of 186.6 cases per 100,000 population in the seven days to December 3, a 49 per cent drop from a peak of 365.2 recorded on November 13.
South Staffordshire’s peak rate of 489.2 cases per 100,000 people came on November 9. It has now decreased by 68 per cent to 156.5.
