Don’t behave like people in Worcestershire to avoid more Covid-19 restrictions, councillor says

Herefordians should not behave like people in Worcestershire if they want to avoid more coronavirus restrictions.

That is the message a Worcestershire county councillor told today’s (Octoer 14) Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority meeting as they discussed their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kidderminster – St Chads ward councillor Fran Oborski said her county was at risk of tighter lockdown restrictions if positive cases of coronavirus continue to rise.

The Government has recently introduced a new three-tier system of local lockdown measures for England to try to curb rising Covid-19 rates.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire each currently sit in Tier 1 which is the lowest possible.

Restrictions at this level include a 10pm curfew for bars, pubs and restrictions and gatherings are limited to six people apart from some settings such as funerals and weddings.

However, coun Oborski fears the rising levels in parts of north Worcestershire could lead to the county being placed in Tier 2.

Restrictions at that level include those at Tier 1 and also bans households mixing indoors.

“It’s quite obvious that Herefordshire is considerably different but in Worcestershire we are on the Government’s radar because of increasing numbers,” she said.

“It’s not that surprising given the number of people in north Worcestershire who work within those parts of the West Midlands conurbation which are already at Tier 2.

“There is a tremendous number of people in Wyre Forest and Bromsgrove who work in Birmingham, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

“There’s a possibility in the not too distant future that one half of our service area will remain at tier 1 while the other half becomes Tier 2.

“Those of us who are councillors particularly in Worcestershire we have a real responsibility to help get the message across to our electorate that they absolutely must not breach the rule of six.”

Coun Oborski also said people must not go on holiday in groups of 14 like some people in Worcestershire had done.

“They must keep to the local bubbles they are in because the consequences of doing otherwise can be very drastic, not just in terms of the health implications for individuals but also in terms of the local economy,” she said.

“We don’t want to see more local businesses forced to closed down and have more restrictions than they already have got on them.

“That is a responsibility that particularly all of those of us in Worcestershire share.

“Those of you in Herefordshire can go around telling your electorate not to behave like people in Worcestershire are appearing to be doing.

“Because one way or another we are at risk.”

The latest data shows there are 114 cases per 100,000 in Bromsgrove and 93 in Wyre Forest.

The Malvern Hills has 75 per 100,000 while the cases in Worcester and Wychavon sit at 74 and 54 respectively.

The number of recorded positive case in Herefordshire between October 4 and 10 were 31.