'Transparency and clear communications over new lockdown rules are critical' - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

Standing on the edge of a precipice we are looking at how to prevent this silent assassin from claiming any more lives and livelihoods.

The shadow and spectre of coronavirus continues to impact all of our lives with an air of uncertainty about what will happen next.

Today we will be looking for answers and ultimately clarity over what the next stage in the war against coronavirus looks like.

Boris Johnson is set to announce a new three-tiered system to tackle the spread of the virus, which could see even tighter restrictions across vast swathes of the country.

Millions of people could be banned from mixing indoors and outdoors and thousands of pubs forced to close in a bid to keep the virus under control.

It comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an extension of the Jobs Support Scheme by providing firms who are legally required to close two thirds of each employees’ salary, up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.

Many residents in West Yorkshire have already been placed under local lockdown restrictions - including right here in Leeds- and for those living in other parts of the county they have been in place for a considerable amount of time. We’ve been parted from our friends and families and we’re left wondering when we will be able to see each other once again.

Public health is absolutely crucial.

We can’t afford to see any more of our loved ones fall victim to the virus and, as a country, we can’t afford for our health service to be pushed to breaking point as we approach winter.

But at the heart of this debate is repeated calls for clarity. As new rules look set to be enforced, we need absolute transparency when it comes to what is expected from each and every single one of us.

We can’t afford for any confusion - this ultimately leads to people bending those rules as well as others losing faith in the ability to get a grip on this unprecedented crisis.

We will be waiting with bated breath today to see what the latest tiered system will mean for Leeds.

Local leaders have already expressed concerns about the “devastating” impact it will have on West Yorkshire.

They have written to the Government to plead for investment in local contact tracing and to provide extra support for businesses.

And they fear that the Government’s “levelling up” agenda is in danger of going into reverse, as more restrictions looked set to be imposed across the North.

Local leaders must be involved in the conversation - after all, they have a level of knowledge and expertise from the ground up and can offer “nuanced solutions”.

Transparency and clear communications are absolutely critical as we continue to struggle to make sense of what is happening around us.

While the details of the announcement will be forensically disseminated, we can’t lose sight that this is a public health emergency and safety must be of absolute paramount.

But as the weeks and months draw on one thing is absolutely certain: the North will remember.

A message from the Editor:

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