Mel Stride MP has sought more information about why Devon has been designated as a ‘Tier 2’ authority and how the county may be able to move down to Tier 1. During discussions with Number 10 on Friday the MP said he understood that the Government wanted to be cautious and to avoid a third spike of Covid-19 infections, particularly when a vaccine is within touching distance, but that he was concerned about the impact on businesses and the continued curbs on seeing friends and family when infection rates within his constituency are relatively low. He asked for more information on how Devon compares with the five metrics that the government is considering when assessing which tier an area goes into before a key vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Mr Stride said:
“I fully appreciate the Government has very tough decisions to make about restrictions over the next six weeks when the virus has ideal conditions for spreading. With the important R Number estimated to be 0.88, it clearly wouldn’t take much to tip this over 1 at which point infections start expanding again. However, I am concerned about the impact of Tier 2 status on our hospitality sector, including our pubs, and am keen that Devon has a clear road map to Tier 1 if infection rates continue to fall.”
As Chair of the influential House of Commons Treasury Select Committee Mr Stride has repeatedly called for the views of economists to be considered alongside doctors and scientists when making decisions about future lockdowns and restrictions.
