Leeds Council warns Government over ‘economic impact’ of further Covid restrictions

The authority said talks took place between itself and Government last Friday and that it expected discussions to continue during this week.

It comes at the same time as a stand-off between Whitehall and Greater Manchester, led by Mayor Andy Burnham, who is urging the Government not to impose the most severe “tier 3” Covid lockdown rules on the district.

While speculation persists over whether Leeds and West Yorkshire would be subject to similar plans, latest council figures suggest Covid-19 rates in Leeds fell over the weekend – from 394 infections per 100,000 people on Friday to 385.9 on Monday.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Leeds remains in the high level tier, and case numbers have been high but stabilising over the last few days.

“An initial meeting took place with government on Friday with Leeds and the other West Yorkshire councils about the case data. We expect further discussions with government this week.

“We know that the economic impact of the restrictions and uncertainty about any potential changes are a concern for many people and businesses, and we have made that clear to government.

“We will continue to make a strong case for Leeds that balances the urgent need to reduce and contain the spread of the virus, help protect the NHS and care system, support wider health and wellbeing, along with ensuring that jobs are protected and businesses affected are supported.”

Leeds and West Yorkshire are now subject to ‘Tier 2’ restrictions, meaning businesses like pubs and restaurants can remain open, but only as long as different households do not mix indoors.

So-called ‘Tier 3’ lockdown restrictions, currently in place in Liverpool, would mean shutting down certain businesses in an attempt to further halt the spread of the virus.

Talks between Mr Andy Burnham and the Government over whether to move the district to Tier 3 were said to have broken down this week.