Ministers have been accused of bringing in “local lockdowns by stealth” after quietly slipping out guidance urging people in Indian variant hotspot areas to restrict their socialising and travel.
Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called on the Government to withdraw the new advice for eight areas in England, where it is being recommended that people do not meet indoors and that travelling in and out of the localities should be avoided.
(PA Graphics)
Health chiefs in the areas have said they were not consulted or informed about the changes, which were published on the Government’s website on Friday without a formal announcement.
These new ‘stealth lockdowns’ are so confusing, not even ministers seem to understand them
MPs from the affected areas demanded answers from the Government. but the mystery only appeared to deepen
25 May 2021 • 5:16pm
Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, faced questions from MPs about the new ‘stealth lockdowns’
Credit: HOC/JESSICA TAYLOR
In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Arthur Dent awakes to see a bulldozer advancing up his garden path. The council is about to demolish his house – without telling him.
Arthur is outraged. Yet Mr Prosser, the man from the council, waves his protests away. “The plans,” insists Mr Prosser, “have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months.”
Residents in eight Indian variant hotspot areas have been told “there are no local lockdowns” after the Government was accused of bringing in new Covid-19 restrictions “by stealth”.
Guidance urging people in areas with high levels of the strain to restrict their socialising and travel was added to the Government website on Friday, but local leaders said they had not been made aware.
In a joint statement on Tuesday the directors of public health in Burnley, Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside effectively said the advice could be disregarded, saying it had been confirmed there is no restriction on travel in and out of the areas.
Government confirms it has ditched stay out of Leicester message We are not imposing local restrictions
19:31, 25 MAY 2021
Confused messages have been communicated throughout the day (Image: Leicester Mercury / Chris Gordon)
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The Government has finally responded to questions about confusion caused by an update to Covid guidelines quietly made on Friday night which has caused ‘anxiety’ and ‘concern’ for people and businesses in the city and county today.