MPs pen letter urging Health Secretary to lower COVID tier in Stevenage and North Herts
Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland and North East Herts MP Sir Oliver Heald have asked Matt Hancock MP to reduce the COVID Tier restrictions in our area. Picture: HM Goverment - Credit: Archant
Members of Parliament for Stevenage and North East Hertfordshire have penned a letter to the health secretary Matt Hancock, calling on him and his department to scale down the COVID tier restrictions in our area.
The letter from Stephen McPartland MP and Sir Oliver Heald MP to Matt Hancock. Picture: Supplied - Credit: Archant
The letter, signed by Stephen McPartland MP and Sir Oliver Heald MP, was sent to Mr Hancock earlier this week – asking him to consider Stevenage and North Herts as a single area, and dropping it down to Tier One restrictions.
Citing the argument by the District Council Network that county-wide restrictions don’t necessarily reflect the actuality of local COVID-19 circumstances, the pair urge Mr Hancock to “continue to evolve our response to this pandemic”.
They go on to say: “Hertfordshire has a population of over 1.3million people and is very diverse, with Watford inside the M25 and Royston on the edge of Cambridgeshire.
“We would like the Tier system to be based on a district level approach, and are formally requesting Stevenage and North Herts are de-coupled from the Tier Two, county-wide restrictions.
The letter from Stephen McPartland MP and Sir Oliver Heald MP to Matt Hancock. Picture: Supplied - Credit: Archant
“Our two areas are served by the East and North Herts NHS Trust and border Beds, Cambs and Essex.
“Local NHS capacity is available, infection rates per 100,000 are similar and as of Friday (December 4), were less than 100 per 100,000.
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“Infection rates in over 60’s are even lower than this and positive rates are below four per cent.
“At the forthcoming review, we urge you to consider Stevenage and North Herts as one area, instead of the county of Hertfordshire, and place us under Tier One restrictions.
“We entered the national lockdown in Tier One and left in Tier Two, despite local figures being consistently at Tier One level.”
The next review of COVID-tier restrictions will take place by next Wednesday, December 16.
