Burnley Council leader hails town's efforts as lockdown restrictions eased

Coun. Briggs said it was good news for residents and businesses in Burnley and Padiham, but the borough needed to remain on alert with the changes only coming into effect from next Wednesday if there was no deterioration in the coming days.

“This is good news for every resident and business in the borough," said Coun. Briggs. "The lifting of the additional restrictions is thanks to the efforts of our whole community.

"Thank you to every resident who followed the additional restrictions; I know it has been tough but your sacrifice has paid off.

"Thank you to all the people from across the borough that came out and got tested, whether they had symptoms or not. Thank you to the health service, Burnley Council staff and the county council for helping us get more people tested.

"The biggest thanks goes to the volunteers who are helping us to run the testing station on Centenary Way.”

Coun. Briggs added: “However, we need to remain on alert. The change doesn’t come into effect until Wednesday and that is only if there is no deterioration over the coming days.

"After that, our schools are going back and I know that people want to get back to normal life, but we must remember that the virus hasn’t gone away. There are still cases in Burnley. We must continue to follow the national guidelines including washing our hands regularly, covering our faces, and keeping our distance.”

"We need to continue to be vigilant, follow the guidelines and, most importantly, keep on being tested so that we can have a clear picture of the impact of Covid- 19 on our borough and act accordingly."

As part of the local effort to control the spread, Burnley Council is working on a local contact tracing service, which will see council staff support efforts to find people who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

If the national system cannot make contact with a local resident after two days, their details will be passed onto the Burnley team to help find additional contacts.

If the team can’t get through to the resident by email, text or phone after another 24 hours, our local Contact Tracing team will visit you and give you details of who you can call.

Residents will be given advice and guidance to help them isolate for the required length of time. The officer will also ask if the resident needs any support or help, which is provided through the Burnley Together hub.

Coun. Cosima Towneley, Executive Member for Community and Environmental Services, said: “We can use our local knowledge to make contact with residents and act quickly to help stem an outbreak. It also means we can refer those who need to isolate to local support services if necessary.

“I want to ask all residents to continue to work with us. Please continue to follow the guidance on controlling the spread and continue to take responsibility. The last thing anybody needs is for another local lockdown to be re-imposed.”

REMINDER OF NATIONAL GUIDELINES:

It remains the case in Burnley, as elsewhere in the country, that you should not:

- socialise indoors in groups of more than two households (anyone in your support bubble counts as one household) – this includes when dining out or going to the pub

- socialise outdoors in a group of more than six people from different households; gatherings larger than six should only take place if everyone is from exclusively from two households or support bubbles

- interact socially with anyone outside the group you are attending a place with, even if you see other people you know, for example, in a restaurant, community centre or place of worship

- hold or attend celebrations (such as parties) where it is difficult to maintain social distancing and avoid close social interaction – even if they are organised by businesses and venues that are taking steps to follow Covid-19 Secure guidelines

- stay overnight away from your home with members of more than one other household (your support bubble counts as one household)

It is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in private homes (including gardens and other outdoor spaces).

Businesses and venues following Covid-19 Secure guidelines can host larger groups provided they comply with the law. This can include weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and funerals (which we advise should be limited to no more than 30 people), religious ceremonies and services, community activities and support groups.

If attending a place or event that is following Covid-19 Secure guidelines, you should take care to limit your interactions with anyone outside of your group and you should continue to maintain social distancing from those that you do not live with.

It is critical that you follow these guidelines to keep both yourself and others safe. If you fail to do so, you risk being fined by the police. Certain businesses that were closed under the local restrictions, will now be able to re-open under the national guidelines. These include bowling alleys, indoor play areas including soft play areas, and close contact services such as treatment on the face. In addition, indoor performances can restart.

For full details please visit https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus