A Message from Sir Greg Knight MP

The Government's Winter Plan and Covid 19 Tier 3 Poster  can be viewed  by clicking on the links.

I am writing to update you on the latest information regarding the government’s new regulations for combating the coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday, the government announced the full details of the tier system which will replace the national lockdown when it ends on 2^nd December, including which areas will fall into the highest tiers.

The government has used five measures to determine what tier each area should be placed in. These are: case detection rates in all age groups, case detection rates in the over 60s, the rate at which cases are rising or falling, positivity rate and pressure on the NHS. Taking a holistic view of these statistics in the East Riding, the government has placed the area in tier 3, a very high alert level.

It is important to note that Tier 3 restrictions are stronger than they were before the lockdown, as the government is of the view that the old restrictions were insufficient.

I have already been in contact with the Health Secretary and have asked him to review certain aspects of the proposals and I am currently awaiting his response. 

In the meantime, I have attached a document which sets out the government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan, along with a graphic which details the restrictions under tier three.

I appreciate that these restrictions are difficult, especially given that much of our area is very rural, and rates of transmission locally may be now lower than previously. Nonetheless, the government view is that these tiered restrictions are designed to be easily understood and are not vulnerable to widespread exploitation. That is why tiers have been allocated based on county areas, rather than districts, wards or smaller areas.

These tiers will be reviewed every two weeks, and I have been assured that the restrictions will only remain in place for as long as they are necessary.

With the optimistic news about vaccines being announced recently, the end is in sight. However, we must remain vigilant in these next few months before we can vaccinate the vulnerable. By doing so, we will save thousands of lives.

If you have any further concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sir Greg Knight MP

Office of Rt Hon Sir Greg Knight MP
Member of Parliament for East Yorkshire
House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA

email c/o ben.coker@parliament.uk