The measures come as a blow to the face, says correspondent Tim de Wit. “Britain is already behind the facts anyway compared to the rest of Europe. Here most of the economy is still closed.” Many of the infections have been found in a neighborhood in the east of the city. “It is a poor, densely populated area, with large families in small houses. It is difficult to keep a distance there.”
Nationwide relaxation
The lockdown comes a few days before the national relaxation of a number of measures, such as the opening of restaurants and cafes. That will not apply to Leicester and the immediate vicinity of the city in the county of Leicestershire, said Health Minister Matt Hancock.
Stores that do not sell basic necessities will close as of today, two weeks after the reopening after the national outbreak. These are “difficult but necessary decisions” for the people of Leicester, home to some 350,000 people. It is the strictest local lockdown to date in the UK.
“The better the rules are followed, the sooner we will get the virus under control and Leicester will be able to return to normal,” Hancock said. He emphasized the importance of limiting social contacts. The situation will be reviewed in two weeks.
Checking difficult
Legal changes will be announced in the coming days, as a number of measures taken require a legal basis, Hancock said. In some cases, the lockdown will be enforced by the police. As for situations like that, he didn’t say.
Mayor Peter Soulsby says he has not received much information from the government, such as the exact size of the area to be closed. He thinks it will be a job to enforce the lockdown. “Checking will be difficult as long as we don’t know which area it concerns.”
Great Britain has nearly 44,000 corona deaths, making it the hardest hit country in Europe.
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