Rockley Beach, Christchurch, Barbados....not Leeds! Credit:PA
It is bad news for the people of Leeds and the surrounding area and for holidaymakers hoping for a trip for some much needed sunshine.
The Yorkshire city is likely to face new restrictions from midnight in the fight against Covid-19, including a ban on households mixing in private homes.
Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake said she expected the city will be made an “area of intervention”, while the leader for public health said the restrictions could last through winter.
Ms Blake told reporters: “We expect them to come in from midnight.”
The addition of Leeds’ population would take the number of people living under local restrictions to more than 16.2 million people across the UK.
Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said: “What we are trying to do is give a simple message – you shouldn’t really mix with other households.”
He said about 780,000 people will come under the new measures which could be in place through the winter.
Mr Riordan added: “I think we know from the experience of Leicester, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire that when these restrictions are brought in they do not tend to be lifted after a week or two.”
Leeds director of public health Victoria Eaton said the city’s virus rate was 98.5 per 100,000 people with a positive testing rate of 8.4%.
She said: “The spread of the virus is very dynamic across the city.
“It’s clear to see we have very widespread community transmissions right across the city.”
Barbados has added the UK to its list of “high risk” countries, meaning arriving holidaymakers will be quarantined for up to a week.
New restrictions will be implemented from October 1 after a surge in coronavirus cases in the UK.
Tourists will be required on arrival to show evidence of a negative Covid-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction), or risk being refused entry to the Caribbean country.
They will be quarantined and monitored for up to seven days at a designated “holding hotel or approved villa” at their own expense, or at a government facility free of charge.
After four or five days, they will be retested and can leave quarantine if they receive a negative result.
Other “high risk” countries include France, Ireland, Switzerland and the US.
Barbados is a popular winter sun destination for UK holidaymakers.
It reopened its borders to international travel on July 12.
The country’s tourism authorities have issued a message to visitors which states: “As we welcome you back to our beautiful island there are a number of precautions and safeguards being implemented to protect both locals and visitors.”
Barbados is currently recording a seven-day rate of 1.4 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people, while the UK is on 52.1.
Figures have been calculated by the PA news agency based on data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Travellers arriving in the UK from Barbados are exempt from the UK’s own coronavirus quarantine policy.
But the 14-day self-isolation requirement will be reimposed on travellers from Denmark, Iceland, Slovakia and the Caribbean island of Curacao from 4am on Saturday due to a rise in cases.
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