‘The gravitational pull of North East Lincolnshire has to be stopped’ – scientist’s warning to two-tier Lincolnshire

Residents living in the new Tier 4 areas of Lincolnshire must resist going into North East Lincolnshire to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a councillor warned.

By moving across the border between villages including Holton-le-Clay, Tetney and North Thoresby into Grimsby and Cleethorpes, the virus will have a free passport to spread, Councillor Phyll Smith warned.

Even travelling within Tier 4 to Louth for shops and services and back to his Holton-le-Clay ward, the number of new cases will inevitably rise, told the former scientist.

Councillor Smith, who worked in Humber Bank chemical factories and in the food laboratories and now works for universities in East Anglia and Leicester, said: “The gravitational pull of North East Lincolnshire has to be stopped. The less people move around the better. There is that temptation and some may think that Tier 4 is one big bubble. But by travelling around the virus can spread into our communities.”

He added: “I would stress that everyone whether they are in Tier 4 or Tier 3 needs to limit their movements and with other people and stay at home, do not mix or socialise. These are absolute rules and are the same wherever.”

The Holton-le-Clay councillor said: “I raised this at the time the tier system was introduced. These places, (Holton-le-Clay and Tetney) are suburbs of Grimsby and Cleethorpes . They are within its gravitational pull for work and services. It works in both directions and there was a time when we were in Tier 2 and Grimsby was Tier 3. I asked then what the direct advice should be given so many people travel between the two for work, education or just to go shopping.

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“I don’t want to be negative. It just seems like nationally, there is an assumption that it is more important to keep business as usual rather than addressing the necessary priorities of how people are meant to get their medicines and attend hospital appointments. There is a real division in people’s attitude and many see restrictions as an imposition on their freedoms.

“A lot of people do not have the freedom to work from home or have food delivered and these situations are not addressed. I find that disappointing. We have had quite a lot of time to get this sorted and put measures in place. But it has ended up with a case of planning for the best and hoping for the best but not planning for the worst.

“People are getting mixed messaging and constant changes in the rules, chopping and changing. I don’t think people in Grimsby should worry as Holton-le-Clay is not a hotbed of virus activity and the villages are a continuation of Grimsby and Cleethorpes and they are functionally dependant on the Grimsby area.”

He urged businesses to make sure they use track and trace systems and also urged residents in their wards to book food deliveries on line, rather than travel for shopping.

“Supermarkets can continue to deliver between tiers. The Royal Mail, Hermes and Amazon have lots of delivery drivers, who are the unsung heroes at this time. I appreciate there are only so many delivery slots but people need to travel as little as possible,” said Councillor Smith.

He said: “I will raise questions with ELDC whether those in Covid food deserts can be prioritised for deliveries. It will be at the discretion of the businesses and will require lobbying by the council.”

He recommended any businesses which are affected by the new Tier 4 restrictions to apply for grants from East Lindsey District Council online by checking out “Tier Business Grant Local Restrictions Support Grant Closed” and also for individuals to apply for test and trace support payments.

People who live a in a Tier 4 area should only leave the area for work, education, childcare, or medical reasons. They should not be travelling to Tier 3 areas to do their shopping or use leisure centres, hairdressers and other services not allowed in Tier 4.