Leicester lockdown: 'Some' restrictions to be eased from July 24 — but Hancock refuses to reopen pubs

Leicester's local lockdown will see "some" restrictions eased from July 24, Matt Hancock has announced as he warned: "There is still a lot to do".

Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, the Health Secretary said that measures will be lifted in some areas like schools but he refused to allow the reopening of pubs.

The city was plunged into a localised lockdown after it saw a spike in cases last month but Mr Hancock said the seven-day infection rate has gone down.

But he also told the Commons that the virus rates in Leicester “still remain well above the national average and the average for surrounding areas”.

He added: “We’re now in a position to relax some but not all of the restrictions that were in place.

“From July 24 we’ll be removing the restrictions on schools and early years childcare and taking a more targeted approach to the restrictions on non-essential retail.”

Matt Hancock making a statement on Leicester in the Commons
PA

He said: “The latest data shows that the seven-day infection rate in Leicester is now 119 cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of people testing positive is now at 4.8 per cent.

“These are positive indicators, especially in light of the huge increase in testing.”

Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic

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He compared the figures to when the lockdown was imposed and the seven-day infection rate was 135 and 10 per cent of tests were positive.

He added: “I committed to reviewing the measures in Leicester every two weeks. This morning I chaired a gold meeting of the local action committee to discuss the latest situation and this afternoon I held a further meeting with local leaders, Public Health England, the JBC, the local resilience forum and my clinical advisers.”

A deserted Leicester city centre, as the city remains in local lockdown
PA

Mr Hancock also announced a new local power to close non-essential shops in Leicester where necessary, but said restrictions on the hospitality sector will continue.

He said: “Restrictions like those for travel and only having social gatherings of up to six people, for example, will remain in force.

“And measures introduced on July 4 like reopening the hospitality sector will also not yet apply.”

Mr Hancock paid tribute to the people of Leicester and Leicestershire for their “perseverance and hard work”.

He said: “Some say that the local lockdown is unnecessary. I wish this were true, but sadly it remains vital for the health of everyone in Leicester and the rest of the country that these restrictions stay in place.

“We will review them again in a fortnight. I hope that this careful easing of restrictions will provide some comfort to people in Leicester and Leicestershire.

“And I’d say this directly to people of Leicester and of Leicestershire: I pay tribute to you all. Your perseverance and your hard work has brought real and tangible results and you’ve shown respect for one another."

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