Local lockdown would be “really catastrophic” says Oldham Council Leader

Oldham Council leader Sean Fielding

The leader of Oldham Council says the town being placed in local lockdown by the Government would be “really catastrophic for businesses and the for the working-age population in Oldham.”

Councillor Sean Fielding has added his voice to those calling on the health secretary Matt Hancock to resist the move despite Oldham having one of the highest rates of new infections in England.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Mr Fielding said his town is different when compared with Leicester, who was the first city in the country to be placed in a local lockdown following a spike in cases.

“It’s different to Leicester because Leicester never really properly reopened.”

Mr Fielding added that it would be massive blow to the town should the restrictions be reintroduced:

“We already have youth unemployment of 9.5% and 15% of unemployment generally so [a local lockdown] would be really, really catastrophic for businesses and for the working-age population in Oldham.”

Local figures show the greatest concentration of Covid19 infections is in the Alexandra Park area of the town with 44 new cases confirmed in the week to the 14th August, Werenth was second with 33 over the same time period.

Mr Fielding claimed it was “household transmissions” which was driving infections with little increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital with Coronavirus.

The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, appeared on BBC News and didn’t rule out the town being placed in a local lockdown.

“There is a big challenge in Oldham, the numbers are clear about that.

“We see from what’s happened in Leicester over the past few weeks that where we put a local lockdown in place it then has been effective.”

“We will do what is necessary.”

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