So, why did Northamptonshire remain in Tier Two under the Covid plan?

Positive tests UP by 25 per cent, hospital admissions DOUBLED in two weeks..but cases among over-60s DOWN
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Government experts have set out their reasons behind Thursday's decision to keep Northamptonshire in Tier Two under the Covid Winter Plan.

Many feared all or part of the county could be eleveted into the "Very High Risk" category with the toughest restrictions.

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Milton Keynes, Bedford and Peterborough will join Warwickshire and Leicestershire — and 68 per cent of England — in Tier Three after midnight tonight.

On the day of the announcement, the NHS confirmed seven more coronavirus deaths in Northampton General Hospital — taking the toll to 71 in the last two weeks — and the highest daily number of positive tests in nearly a month.

Thursday's bulletin showed 249 lab-confirmed swabs in the county in the 24-hour period up to 4pm the previous day.

But the panel of medical officers, scientists and epidemiologists decided indicators in Northamptonshire "do not currently warrant inclusion in Tier Three."

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A Government statement said: "As set out in the Covid-19 winter plan, there are five indicators which guide our decisions for any given area, alongside consideration of ‘human geographies’ like travel patterns.

PM Boris Johnson says a 'smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas' after Northamptonshire remained in Tier TwoPM Boris Johnson says a 'smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas' after Northamptonshire remained in Tier Two
PM Boris Johnson says a 'smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas' after Northamptonshire remained in Tier Two

"While each metric is important in its own right, the interplay between each indicator for a given area is equally important, so a hard and fast numerical threshold on each metric is not appropriate.

"These are not easy decisions, but they have been made according to the best clinical advice, and the best possible data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre."

The five indicators are:

■ Case detection rates in all age groups

Here's how the 'rolling rate' of Covid cases has changed since the national lockdown was announced on November 2Here's how the 'rolling rate' of Covid cases has changed since the national lockdown was announced on November 2
Here's how the 'rolling rate' of Covid cases has changed since the national lockdown was announced on November 2

■ Case detection rates in the over 60s

■ The rate at which cases are rising or falling

■ Positivity rate — the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken

■ Pressure on the NHS

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Here is what the Government's experts said about Northamptonshire:

■ The overall picture remains mixed in Northamptonshire.

■ Case rates are broadly increasing across the area, but case rates in over 60s are decreasing across the majority of the area.

■ Case rates in all ages have increased by 25 per cent or more over the last seven days in Northampton and both East and South Northamptonshire, with Northampton also showing a rise in all indicators.

■ The epidemiology indicators do not currently warrant inclusion in Tier Three.

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■ The number of daily Covid hospital admissions in the Northamptonshire STP continues to rise and has doubled in the last 14 days.

■ The daily Covid bed occupancy is above the national acute hospital average and continues to rise.

Tier Two restrictions forbidding people from different households mixing indoors and forcing pubs to operate as restaurants will continue in Northamptonshire until the five-day 'Christmas window' opens on December 23.

Until December 27 up to three households are allowed to get together indoors — although the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said earlier this week people should "think hard" before visiting friends and family, particularly the elderly and vulnerable.

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He added: "a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas."

Tier Two rules will be back in force on December 28 with the next review of tiers due by December 30.