ESSEX Leaders and MPs request move to ‘High level‘ Covid restrictions as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

Following extensive discussions with leaders of other councils across the county and with Essex MPs, Essex County Council is to apply to the Secretary of State to be placed into the new ‘High level‘ banding of COVID-19 restrictions.

Essex continues to see an increase in cases, which the County’s Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, Dr Mike Gogarty has advised will continue to accelerate unless urgent action is taken and a move to ‘High’ from the current ‘Medium’ level is made sooner rather than later.

Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic Essex residents have done all that has been asked of them, and have kept infection levels low in comparison to other areas in the country. The work of the Public Health team in Essex County Council, alongside other ECC colleagues and colleagues in district councils has been exemplary and it is seen as one of the most capable partnership responses in the country by Public Health England.

Based on a detailed analysis of the available data, The County’s Director of Public Health, Dr Mike Gogarty, has advised that Essex has a better chance of flattening the rate of infection and therefore protecting lives, jobs, businesses and the NHS if the move is made sooner rather than later.

The rate of growth is now exponential and cases doubling every 1 to 2 weeks. Without action now, the restrictions that Essex residents would have to face would be even more severe, last longer and do more damage to the Essex economy.

Leaders from across the Essex County Council’s area, along with the county’s MPs and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, are supportive of the proposal which will go to the secretary of State today, Tuesday 13 October.

YH will be speaking to Harlow politicians during the day.