Lockdown in Oldham could be ‘catastrophic’, council leader warns

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Labour councillor Sean Fielding urged ministers not to impose stricter measures in the Greater Manchester town, even though “raw numbers” are similar to those in Leicester when it was put into local lockdown.

He said: “We’re strongly making the case up here in Oldham that that would not be the right solution for the wave of the pandemic that we’re seeing.”

Mr Fielding argued that “household transmission” is driving infections in Oldham, most cases are among the working-age population, and there has been little increase in hospital admissions or deaths.

He said: “We already have youth unemployment of 9.5% and 15% of unemployment generally so it would be really, really catastrophic for businesses and for the working-age population in Oldham if there were to be a local lockdown.

“It’s different to Leicester because Leicester never really properly reopened; this could be hundreds of businesses that have made themselves Covid-secure, spent money in doing so, reopened, traded for a short time, being asked to close again, and the likelihood is many of those having done all of that would simply not be able to reopen once the restrictions are lifted again.”

Speaking to BBC News on Wednesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out a local lockdown.

He said: “Places like Oldham, where we are now seeing the number of cases rise, we have to take the same localised approach, working very closely with the local council, and make sure we get both the messages to the public and also the rules right in place and the resources, like the testing resources, to get a grip on it in all the areas where there is an outbreak, including Oldham.”

The town is one of the parts of northern England where restrictions were brought in at the end of July to prevent households from mixing indoors.

Leaders in Oldham have urged residents to act to avoid a more severe lockdown and the council enlisted the help of Game Of Thrones actor James Cosmo, who recorded a video reminding people of the guidelines.

In it, he said: “Lockdown is coming if you don’t act now and follow the coronavirus guidelines.”