MP Seeks COVID Tier System ‘Flexibility’

The Covid19 restrictions are set to continue with the tier system replacing national lockdown from the 2^nd December this year.  The tier system divides the nation into one of three categories, tier 1 (the lowest level), up to tier 3 which is the highest.

East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight has said he is concerned that the tier system as currently operated is a crude and blunt instrument which is based on regional infection rates.  ‘Because the East Riding is a unitary authority, the entire area is being treated the same in the tiering system and placed in tier 3.’

This is unfair because it means areas of low infection are being grouped with other communities in the same council area which currently have a much higher infection rate, such as Withernsea.

I am therefore urging Ministers to look again at how the system is being administered, with a request to introduce flexibility, to take account of our local circumstances.

Greg adds  ‘I see no reason why local communities which are currently displaying very low infection rates, cannot be tiered the same as North Yorkshire, which is in tier 2, rather than with areas elsewhere in the East Riding, but many miles away, which are displaying higher infection rates at the moment.

I appreciate the Government has an incredibly difficult job but this ’one size fits all’ regional approach needs to be looked at again and that is why I have asked Ministers to undertake an urgent review of the current system.

*photo with Matt Hancock taken before social distancing rules were in place.