Core City UK leaders and mayors write to Government as Covid-19 cases continue to rise

The Leaders of Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds propose a five point plan to manage lockdowns better and bring down Covid-19 infection rates

1) Local decision making to agree additional lockdowns before they happen, and what measures are to be deployed between relevant services, with additional powers to take immediate action on non-compliance, for example closing premises. Lockdown triggers to include a broader assessment than just absolute numbers, and not to include further economic restrictions.
2) A locally controlled Test and Trace system that is sensitive to local knowledge and needs of communities. This should include a joint planning response with local universities to provide effective support to students as part of containment plans.
3) An improved Business Compensation Package to support those most affected. This will otherwise put at risk the Government’s ambitions to Level Up within this Parliament, as our cities stand to lose tens of thousands of jobs.
4) Financial support for everyone who needs to self-isolate. Payment should recognise the additional support needs in our cities with higher levels of deprivation, and not be distributed on a per head of population basis.
5) Improved monitoring of the impacts of the additional restrictions that have recently been put in place to understand their effect on Covid-19 rates