Health chiefs in County Durham call for people to follow health guidelines in wake for fresh lockdowns

Millions of families in Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and west Yorkshire are facing a fresh clampdown following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the region.

But bosses in County Durham have insisted they have plans in place to deal with an increase in confirmed cases.

Chris Allan, a public health consultant at Durham County Council, said: “We have a local outbreak control plan in place in County Durham to help control an outbreak of coronavirus and keep people safe.

“Working closely with our partners, such as Public Health England and their North East Health Protection Team, we are preparing for any complex cases of infections or outbreaks that occur in the county.

“We continue to update the plan as we learn from any outbreaks, elsewhere in the country or here in County Durham, and we will adjust our outbreak response accordingly.

“We would also remind residents of the importance of continuing to follow government guidance in order to help keep themselves and others safe and prevent the spread of the virus.”

The new coronavirus lockdown in parts of Yorkshire and the North West was announced late last night (Thursday, July 30) and came into force from midnight.

The new rules have banned people from different households from meeting in homes or private gardens.

They are also barred from mixing in pubs and restaurants – although individual households can still go out for drinks and meals.

Health bosses in Sunderland have called the renewed lockdowns a ‘timely reminder’ of the need to comply with rules.

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