Coronavirus: Local restrictions eased in Leicester as other regions face potential return to lockdown

Leicester has been allowed to further ease out of its local lockdown more than a month and a half after it split from the rest of the country to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The city has been under some of the most stringent lockdown measures in the country since 29 June, when schools and non-essential shops closed as the city laid claim to 10 per cent of England’s coronavirus case load.

However, while the city continues to have one of the highest rates of infection in the UK, a reduction from almost 1,000 cases across two weeks in June compared to 419 in the fortnight up to 14 August has led officials to believe the virus is in a state of decline in the region.

“My gratitude goes out to the people of Leicester who have all made sacrifices to keep the virus at bay and protect their local communities,” health secretary Matt Hancock said.

“The rate of infection has now dropped to a safe enough level to allow further businesses including beauty salons, nail bars and some outdoor venues to reopen in the area.

“Current restrictions on gatherings must remain in place to further bring down the rate of infection.”

Spas, massage and tattoo parlours, and body and skin piercing services will also be able to reopen on Wednesday morning.

And while the most vulnerable are still being advised to shield, individuals will be allowed to meet outside in a group of up to six people providing social distancing is maintained.

However some restrictions will remain in place – including a ban on mixing households inside homes and private gardens – bringing the city in line with regions in the north west including Greater Manchester where a milder local lockdown was introduced at the start of the month.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby welcomed the relaxation for shielders, saying it “will greatly benefit their mental health, while still keeping their physical health as the greatest priority”.

But he added: “What we really don’t want is to see numbers increase which could result in more severe restrictions being put in place once again in parts, or all, of the city.”

It comes amid fears Oldham could be the next to fall into more severe lockdown measures, despite being one of the northern regions where some restrictions have been kept.

Oldham council leader Sean Fielding told The Guardian such a decision from the central government could by 48 hours away, despite his belief a Leicester-like approach would not be “based on evidence”.

“Everything that is within our power we are doing, and there is some early evidence that is having an effect on the infection rate,” he told the paper. “But we do need more time to see if that has really played out. I do think that moving into a local lockdown would be really premature.”

Meanwhile across the Irish sea Stormont’s health minister has warned that the virus is on the advance again in the province.

Robin Swann said he was now as worried about the virus in Northern Ireland as he had been in some time.

“We are in danger of slipping down a very dangerous and slippery slope,” he told a Stormont media briefing.

He added the Stormont Executive would consider some renewed coronavirus restrictions on Thursday – which could include localised measures or region-wide steps.

“The time is coming for the Executive to consider fresh and concrete actions to prevent the further spread of the virus,” he said.

It comes as the Republic of Ireland significantly tightened its nationwide restrictions to rein in an increase in cases, urging everyone to restrict visitors to their homes, avoid public transport and for older people to limit their contacts.

Once the home to Europe’s lowest infection rate, a spike in cases over the last three weeks a pushed the country’s 14-day cumulative cases per 100,000 population to 26 and led to the first local lockdown last week.

“We’re absolutely not at a stage where we can return to normality. We are at another critical moment,” prime minister Micheal Martin told a news conference, saying the new measures would stay in place until 13 September.