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Leicester lockdown: 'More guidance needed' on rules Leicester lockdown: Boundary line branded 'stupid' by residents
(about 3 hours later)
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the government had failed to give people in Leicester enough information about the local lockdown. Residents on a street cut in half by the Leicester lockdown boundary line have branded it "stupid".
The MP for Leicester South made the comments as local residents and businesses also expressed frustration at the "lack of guidance". Some addresses on Bowhill Grove, Scraptoft, are now subject to the tighter restrictions introduced on Monday, while others are not.
Mr Ashworth told ITV's Good Morning Britain residents were anxious and "very, very scared". One resident said people living in the lockdown area could walk over the line to a nearby local pub, which may open.
The government said it had taken steps to provide all the information needed. Leicestershire County Council said the boundary had been drawn up rapidly and was "an imprecise science".
Health secretary Matt Hancock announced at 21:15 BST on Monday that people in the city would face tighter restrictions over the next fortnight in response to a spike in coronavirus cases. It comes as shadow health secretary and Leicester South MP Jonathan Ashworth said people in the city were confused by the rules.
Measures include the closure of shops selling non-essential items, schools being closed to most pupils and a block on non-essential travel. A map showing the boundary of the lockdown zone was made public on Tuesday morning before a postcode tool allowing people to check whether they lived inside the affected area was launched.
But residents have expressed to the BBC confusion over who they can and cannot see as well as questioning what constitutes essential travel. Paula Meadows, 51, whose home on Bowhill Grove falls inside the line said: "The government don't know what they're doing. Where they've drawn the line is just stupid.
A map showing which areas fell within the lockdown zone was also not made public for more than 12 hours after Mr Hancock's announcement. "It's playing with numbers. How can it start on one side of the road and not the other? If we're on lockdown it should be the whole place.
A postcode tool allowing people to check whether they lived inside the affected area was launched by the county council on Tuesday evening. "And how are they going to police it? If the pub round the corner opens there will be an open pub within walking distance where you can get a pint. What's stopping people from going? It's ridiculous."
James West, who owns a printing shop just inside the lockdown boundary in Thurmaston, said he opened as usual at 09:00 on Tuesday, only for the map to be released about an hour later, forcing him to close. Kay Patel, 42, lives further along the road from Mrs Meadows - and just outside the boundary.
The 25-year-old said he was "greatly frustrated with the lack of guidance". She called for signs to be erected in the street - which is about 500 metres long - "like when they do road repairs".
Indy Burmi, who owns two hair salons - one inside the lockdown area and one outside - said he was worried about the impact on his business. "This road is not a clear boundary," she said. "We're out of lockdown, but beyond the bus stop is not.
"The grant we had from the council [at the start of lockdown], which was a great help, has totally vanished on bills, without paying rent," he said. "People just walk out of the lockdown area. It needs signs and barriers."
Mr Ashworth said the introduction of the lockdown was "slow" and had left people "still asking for information". Spotting the next spike
"People are really worried in Leicester, people are going to be anxious," he said. "People who are shielding are very, very scared. Analysis by Daniel Wainwright, BBC England Data Unit
"The police commissioner is complaining they've been drip-fed information about what they can and can't enforce. We now know that Leicester has had the most cases per population, but we don't know who is currently seeing their cases rise or increase the most.
"People want clarity. People want to do the right thing. They just want some clear guidance." Public Health England has now published for the first time the full figures of positive cases in each local authority in England in the week to 21 June.
This shows why the government was so worried - Leicester's rate of new infections was more than double the next highest, Bradford. These figures are now 10 days old, however.
What's come as a surprise to many people is that the government's public data on cases, updated daily, shows a much lower rate of infections in Leicester.
This is because it only includes so-called Pillar 1 tests - those in hospitals and involving healthcare workers.
The bulk of Leicester's infections have been discovered under Pillar 2 tests done outside of hospital.
Having this new breakdown of both sets of test results is going to be vital in determining where else may need to be subject to local lockdown.
Mike Sandys, Leicestershire County Council's director of public health, said the lockdown map had been "a rapid piece of work", drawn up by the county council, Leicester City Council and Public Health England.
He said it was based on "PHE expert data on where cases are".
He added: "We've tried to make those lines make sense to people. It's largely aligned with the M1 and the A46 and the east of the city boundary.
"It's an imprecise science and we were working at great pace to get it done."
Mr Ashworth told ITV's Good Morning Britain a lack of detail from the government on local lockdown rules had left people "anxious" and "very, very scared".
"People want clarity. People want to do the right thing. They just want some clear guidance," he said.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Both nationally and locally steps have been taken to ensure that people have all the information they need."The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Both nationally and locally steps have been taken to ensure that people have all the information they need."
The lockdown is due to be reviewed on 18 July. The local lockdown is due to be reviewed on 18 July.
'Engaging, explaining, encouraging'
Leicestershire's police and crime commissioner Lord Willy Bach has said law enforcement had received "minimal guidance" on the restrictions.
Officers dealt with 83 complaints about breaches of Covid-19 restrictions on Tuesday, Leicestershire Police said.
Chief Constable Simon Cole said the force would assist with the lockdown "using lots of common sense" and "by doing what we've been doing all the way through - engaging, explaining, encouraging and - where we need to - enforcing".
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