Fear needs to be put back into the public to bring coronavirus rates down during lockdown, the police officer leading North Yorkshire’s response to covid said yesterday.
Superintendent Mike Walker said there was less compliance and fear among people under current restrictions compared with the first lockdown last year, which saw streets empty and more businesses close.
His comments came after North Yorkshire Police said it will come down harder on covid rule breakers. The force also revealed it had issued 107 fines in the first week of the third lockdown — more than double the amount in the first week of the first lockdown.
Superintendent Walker told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel that the force has had to “put back that fear” into communities for them to understand the risk of flouting covid rules.
He said:
“Unfortunately, that fear needs to be put back into the public for them to understand there is a reason why this lockdown is here because of the rates, the excess deaths and the number of people going into hospital on a daily basis.
“Until we see the impact of the national lockdown, you will not see that curve flattening and going down again.
“It’s not ideal that we want to put fear into the communities, but they need to understand the risk that is associated to them.”
Superintendent Walker said the messaging was not scaremongering as the figures in the county are so high. Currently, the North Yorkshire seven-day covid rate is 380 people per 100,000.
He added it was “sad to see” a lack of compliance when North Yorkshire had some of the highest rates in all of Yorkshire.
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Of the 107 fixed penalty notices issued in North Yorkshire during the third lockdown, 57 were to people from outside the county and 50 were to those living in the county. Harrogate police issued 10 fines.
Superintendent Walker said on Wednesday (January 13) officers would “no longer waste time” reasoning with people who flout the rules and “have no regard for the safety of others”.
Meanwhile, Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the rules of the lockdown were clear.
She said:
“The rules and regulations are already very clear but there is a significant minority who seem to think they don’t apply to them.
“The message is simple – stay at home apart from for very specific reasons. Those reasons do not include taking a day trip to North Yorkshire from elsewhere, or travelling to a different part of North Yorkshire if you live here.
“Exercise should be taken close to your home, not close to other people’s homes far from yours in communities who are doing all they can to stop the spread.”
