Live Yorkshire Covid updates as people urged not to travel out of Kirklees and Government slammed after hotspot advice quietly updated

Requires readability after guidelines modified

The Authorities has been accused of “incompetence” after advising in opposition to all however important journey in eight areas of England the place the Covid variant first recognized in India is spreading quickest.

Officers mentioned areas together with Bolton, Leicester, Kirklees and the London borough of Hounslow have been hardest hit and folks there mustn’t meet indoors.

Individuals ought to keep away from travelling into and out of the eight areas, with Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and North Tyneside additionally on the listing. Individuals within the eight areas also needs to be examined twice per week, in line with the Authorities recommendation.

The change to the steerage – which isn’t regulation – seems to have been made on Friday with out an official announcement, prompting criticism from MPs.

Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East and shadow worldwide improvement minister, mentioned:

“I used to be not knowledgeable of this and I perceive nor was anybody else in Bolton.

“I’m simply gobsmacked. They’re making such an necessary announcement and so they don’t even have the decency to inform us or inform our constituents.

“That is typical of this Authorities’s incompetence.”

Layla Moran, chairwoman of the All Celebration Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, mentioned updating the steerage with out a correct announcement “is a recipe for confusion and uncertainty”.

“Native individuals and public well being leaders in these areas want pressing readability from the Authorities. Matt Hancock should come earlier than Parliament and make a public assertion to clarify these new guidelines,” she mentioned.

Newly elected West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin added the change might trigger “nervousness and confusion”.

Ms Brabin mentioned she would increase the matter urgently with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi on Tuesday.

She tweeted:

“If Govt are involved we want clear steerage and help not recommendation that might trigger nervousness and confusion.”

In the meantime, quarantine necessities will reportedly be maintained for many who come into contact with constructive instances after June 21 even when they’ve acquired each doses of the vaccine.

A Authorities spokesman mentioned:

“Working with native authorities, we took swift and decisive motion to gradual the unfold of the B1.617.2 (India) variant by introducing surge testing and bringing ahead second doses of the vaccine for probably the most weak.

“We supplied further steerage for these dwelling in affected areas once we grew to become conscious of the danger posed by the variant, to encourage individuals to take an additional cautious method when assembly others or travelling.”