Cheshire Constabulary is urging residents to stay safe ahead of further relaxation of coronavirus restrictions next week.
Whilst, the majority of Cheshire residents are playing their part in the national effort by sticking to the lockdown rules, there are still a small number of people who are choosing to blatantly ignore the rules that remain in place.
This year the force has issued 1562 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for blatant and repeated breaches between January 4th and April 4th - 209 of which were issued in the Macclesfield Area which covers - Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Congleton, Knutsford, Macclesfield and Poynton.
From Monday 12th April, England will move into Step Two of the Government's roadmap which will see the reopening of businesses such as non-essential shops, hairdressers, beauty salons and outdoor hospitality.
This means that cafés, pubs and restaurants will be able to serve food and alcohol outdoors with no curfew or substantial meal required.
The public will be able to visit these venues either with their own household/bubble, in two separate households or by following the rule of six.
While attending these venues, social distancing and the wearing of face coverings must continue.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: "Earlier this week the Prime Minister confirmed that the roadmap out of restrictions is on track and this is certainly the positive news we all need.
"This shows that the majority of the public are sticking to the rules and following the guidance in place in order to meet the four tests to continue easing the restrictions.
"However, now that we are successfully moving into Step Two, we must continue to stick to the rules in place in order to keep the rate of coronavirus infections down.
"This means that when you do go to visit outdoor hospitality venues, you need to follow the measures in place to protect not only yourself, but your loved ones.
"Our officers will continue to engage and explain the new regulations while assisting local councils and licensing teams to ensure the move into Step Two is done safely."
As part of Step Two, indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and spas will reopen along with public buildings such as libraries and community centres.
Elsewhere, overnight stays away from home in England will be permitted and self-contained accommodation can open as long as residents visit with members of the same household or support bubble.
Outdoor attractions such as zoos, theme parks, drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances can also open their doors.
ACC Sims added: "There is no longer the need to stay at home or stay local but I would urge people to remember that coronavirus is still a real threat in this country.
"Although we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is still a long way to go.
"The Constabulary will continue its work in supporting local communities as we have done throughout the pandemic, but when officers are met with blatant and repeat breaches of the restrictions they will enforce in order to protect the public."
Comments
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I am pleased to see we have a Reform candidate running for PCC in the upcoming elections, he is an ex Army Officer and he will have my vote. (Anything to get rid of David Keane plus a small message to the Tories too)
https://www.cheshire.police.uk/news/cheshire/news/articles/2021/4/cheshire-constabulary-urges-residents-to-stay-safe-ahead-of-further-coronavirus-restrictions/
Therefore , technically it is not incorrect information
Once again I'm with you on this subject.
In yesterday's newspapers it was reported that some overzealous councils have drawn up stricter rules and are demanding pub garden customers will be forced to wear masks when walking around beer gardens, despite national guidance that ONLY REQUIRES FACE COVERINGS WHILST INDOORS.
It goes on to say that Ribble Valley Borough Council in Lancashire, for example, has told pubs that "face coverings must be worn by customers, except when seated to eat or drink"
However, a government spokesperson said "The national government guidance is clear that customers are not expected to wear face coverings outdoors"
So, the national laws of the land are being superseded by local council idiots who are making up their own rules about customers visiting pub gardens ?
Looks as though we're going to have a bit of fun these next few days as I will not be wearing any face covering when walking around any pub or restaurant garden.
How dare these jumped up nobodies take the law of the land into their own hands and alter it ?
We have had more Chief Constables resigning for stupid mistakes in enforcement made by their officers in the last 12 months than any previous years. As David Hadfield rightly points out Ribble Council are saying the same as Cheshire Police and it is just plain distortion of the legal rules. Defend them all you like Yvonne but you and they will still be wrong.
Hello David , I hope you are well and thanks for your common sense and support on this, the hectoring and patronising tone toward the great British public has to stop. We have sacrificed much this last year especially our young people ...there are no words of thanks or support for us, just constant admonishments and encouragement to snitch and turn on each other as citizens. We deserve respect and to be treated as adults and not talked down to and constantly nagged and frightened into submission. There is a very mean spirit abroad in this great land and it saddens me.
Interestingly the Government guidance adds to the confusion. This is the link to the guidance and I have extracted the key text below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
"In England you must wear a face covering in the following indoor settings (examples are given in brackets):
...
premises providing hospitality (bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes), except when seated at a table to eat or drink (see exemptions)..."
It seems clear this section relates to indoor settings only. We cannot enter a hospitality venue to eat or drink yet, so I am not sure why the paragraph on premises providing hospitality is included. It would appear that the government spokesman who thinks the guidance is clear might want to read that section and help explain it again.
Our government is very good at issuing policy and then claiming it is clear. I would argue many aspects of these policies are not that clear and common sense is needed by us all: including public officials and the public themselves.
Why is it so difficult simply to comply with common sense precautions to prevent our health services from being overwhelmed?
So these regular belligerents ever actually use local hospitality I wonder? If so they would know that by far the bulk of hospitality customers are very clearly younger - the same people who have yet to be vaccinated and sadly of which many refuse or cannot be bothered with vaccination.
Just wear the mask where required - unless of course you intend to urinate on a convenient wall rather than behave in a more civilised fashion and use the indoor toilets provided for the purpose.
60 per cent of the Covid deaths which occurred in December/ January were in the worst run and managed NHS hospitals like Bedford, Southend etc from patients who were in for other reasons.They then contracted Covid in the badly managed wards where Managers did not put effective infection control management in place and died. All these facts are now in the public domain as are the facts that a fair few Police have been ludicrously heavy handed with their fines and warnings.
We do NOT have to wear masks in the open air and I have every right to criticise our (more heavy handed Police Officers and hopeless PCC) and I will use my voting pencil (as will many others to vote him out next month hopefully).
The first lockdown was needed as we were in unknown territory, but there are many calling for lockdowns later this year some are scared (scared witless by the Government propaganda) and some are downright dangerous and love our new foray into a semi Authoritarian State and some are curtain twitching informants and Stasi admirers. I had many relatives executed in Death Camps 70 plus years ago in a country which also bred the Stasi. I am happy to be called an anti authoritarianist and will question until I die any unecessary overreach of Power. Were you brought up to be a nodding dog Stephen?
As usual you are over-thinking the position to suit your own agenda.
The current very low number of cases is a direct result of a well executed vaccination programme and a general adherence to lockdown.
You seem to believe that lockdown is something inflicted on people but, by and large, right-thinking people understand the rationale and are generally accepting of the need to accept some (not insignificant) inconvenience for the greater good.
What makes the hardship worse, is to have to listen to people like you accusing us of being meek-willed, compliant sheep when (deep down) we know that it is US that have achieved low levels of contagion through adherence to rules whilst detractors (like you) have sought to undo or confuse our efforts.
You make frequent reference to the
harsh regime you lived under as a younger man. You must understand that the UK is a democratic society and we live here in freedom and relative privilege.
Our Police service is an instrument of the people, there to protect us and uphold our laws without fear or prejudice. In the main they do an excellent job in very difficult circumstances.
I have recently lost two close friends unexpectedly to Covid and I am persuaded that it can be a cruel and nasty virus that can hit the young and healthy as well as the weak and elderly.
You are (of course) entitled to your opinions in a free society, but please don’t denigrate those of us who adhere to the rules and guidance in the (considered) belief that we are doing it for the common good.
We think it hilarious here in our home that Yvonne and Alan like to take aim on here in and "have a go" and present themselves as the voice of reason whenever I make a controversial comment ;)) I suggested that the Police got their info' wrong about outdoor masks and I stand by that it is not an opinion it is a fact.
Alan... I suggested the first lockdown was very necessary ( a fine habit you have of twisting my statements.) I am also a big fan of our amazing vaccines. The vaccine was touted as the route out of these dreadful lockdowns and Boris was rightly criticised and corrected the other day when he said lockdown not vaccines had bought current numbers of cases down. The successful vaccine rollout is the predominant reason our figures are so good . The Health Minister and numerous Scientists have stated this.
Alan and Yvonne there has been NO cost analysis or ecomomic impact assessment of these tortuous lockdowns. Nothing, zilch, nada. We have left our young with a dreadul legacy and there must never be another lockdown. Why would anyone sane or reasonable choose to support another one? Yes I question and will continue to call out any supporter of future lockdowns as they will be willfully destroying the future of our young. I am nearly 90 and like many OAPs we have been cushioned and we have NO RIGHT to be so selfish and demanding of our younger generations. (Yvonne try some chamomile tea it really is marvellous for soothing bile).
Alan's post was spot on. I really could not have put it better myself. The lockdowns were very necessary and when push comes to shove sometimes you just have to do what you have to do and face the cost later since whatever that is, the alternative would be worse. This was just such a situation.
Hopefully, now that the vaccines are with us and are proving to be even more effective at preventing serious illness and death than we could ever have hoped (well done the scientists! The true heroes here!) we will not need to lock down again. However, nasty variants are arising in India right now and many areas of the globe are do not have anything like the handle on this virus that we have so there is a great deal of opportunity for it to mutate. Most of those random mutations will be harmless, but some (such as the Indian variant now emerging from that continent) will turn out to be more deadly than those we are currently dealing with. International air travel continues even now and looks set to ramp up more in the near future, and that is the means by which these variants will rapidly spread around the world.
The vaccines can be tweaked to address the variants of the virus, but as we know mass vaccination (and therefore re-vaccination) takes months.
So, hopefully no more lockdowns. But don't rule it out entirely.
Cambridge : https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/d.miles/document/7482/JUne%2027%20COVID%20CBA/?JUne%2027%20COVID%20CBA.pdf
Institute for government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/cost-coronavirus
Centre for Economics and Business Research: https://cebr.com/reports/one-year-since-lockdown-the-251-billion-cost-to-the-uk-economy/
Yep, if you ignore all of the published analyses, there would be none.
Google the Zero Covid Alliance...the UK chapter is funded by the Communist Party of GB (of which Professor Susan Michie of SAGE is also a member). Not conspiracy theory just fact. Alan Brough seems to think I have an agenda. To that I say "Nay"... the Zero Covid fans have an agenda and it is tied up with regime change and the anti Capitalist movement.
I am an avid reader of the Times Online, Guardian and Telegraph . One could call the Times centrist and a useful barometer of opinion of the professional classes and well educated. Many commenters are of the opinion that once the vaccine programme is fully executed we return to full normality and should offer the aged and vulnerable a booster in the Autumn. I reckon 90% of comments were scathing about the scary variant hype yesterday and this morning. (Read them ...they are most enlightening) I am starting to see the same on the Guardian even and the Telegraph...."no more lockdown" is the clarion call. There is universal agreement from left, right and centre stating that Boris must not extend his Emergency Powers Act again.
If we are going to worry about every single variant despite a rigorous vaccine rollout well then let us just lockdown forever more and die in our beds. Even Chris Whitty states we must accept the level of deaths (as we do every time there is a bad flu year). Death is part of life, Zero Covid is a nonsense and in a Continent like Europe which is so interconnected it is entirely unattainable.
I am seeing my youngest daughter for the first time in a year on Monday, in an outdoor cafe and we are all vaccinated and will be hugging
each other. I will not be waiting for permission from Bojo, Whitty or Vallance. Any Covid Marshalls out there do feel free to report me;))
I now see you as Alderley Edge's own Nigel Farage as you speak the truth and say it how it is, exactly the same as Farage ! ..... (that'll get the Lefties going mad) !!
Let me clarify one thing with those people who don't agree with you (and me).
If dining inside a restaurant or cafe, which we will be doing shortly, or having to visit the bathroom inside the building, then I understand that we have to wear masks, according to the law and the rules. Okay, I get that.
However, if walking outside, either around the village or actually sitting in an open licenced venue or garden, then masks DO NOT NEED TO BE WORN ..... FACT !
No doubt almost everyone watched the funeral of the Duke yesterday.
It was a very sad day, but also showed military precision at its finest.
The reason I'm bringing this into the equation is because I could not understand why those 3 carriage drivers with the two horses wore masks, when completely outside in the open air and didn't come close to anyone ... why why why ?
But yet, hundreds of military musicians were playing their instruments, pushing spittle and whatever else was required, into their cornets, trombones, etc, and blowing it out to anyone that wanted it.
(I understand this is one of the worst ways to spread Covid-19)
There were also hundreds of other Service personnel marching around without masks, so my genuine question is ; why did those 3 carriage people wear masks ?
My opinion is that its just mask wearing for mask wearing sake ?
I understand why the Royal Marines Pall Bearers wore masks as they were in close proximity to each other, but those 3 carriage people ? .............
Today, we've heard Robert Jenrick, MP, has written to all Local Authorities warning them about not being overzealous when interpreting the rules.
How are you on this fine Spring morning? Keeping well I hope :))
I agree about the carriage drivers...perhaps masks for the horses too would have been appropos? ;))
There is a very instructive clip of Matt Hancock on social media at the moment. striding along Downing Steet last week with his mask on then as soon as he enters number 10 just as the door starts to close he can be seen yanking it off. The camera captured it all.
I do speak as I find because when panic, fear and hysteria set in common sense go out the window. I have obeyed all the covid precautions and have never denied the seriousness of the pandemic, but we now have an excellent vaccination rollout and we have to be confident in these. The Zero Covidians have done their very best (along with others) to undermine the AZ vaccine. It, (unlike Pfizer and Moderna) is delivered at cost price. They are making no profits on the jab therefore I trust it. Of course people will still get Covid..jabbed or not but the key is how many in future will take up spare ICU capacity. If it is not many then we MUST get back to normality. We cannot spend years living in fear of the "what ifs".
Within 2 years of the Spanish Influenza pandemic life returned to normal. Yes the deaths are very tragic but even more tragic will be the deaths of younger people of the untreated cancers which will be backing up. When at last we have good news why is it that some people seem to take a profound joy in stirring up the most pessimistic arguments about the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" variants?And when normality returns let the scared or the covid obbsessed carry on wearing THEIR masks as is their right, but may all the diktats go and I shall take great pride in finally burning mine.
The truth, frankness and honesty is what you get from Farage AND Tony.
Surely not?
Btw I have no particular affection for Trump yet you seem to think you it's a given if anyone has a different opinion to yours (it is really very immature and tribal Vince.. don't you do nuance? ;)) Acttually I dont believe the US has had an effective POTUS since JFK but you carry on with your fantasies....
For the record, I fully support Alan Brough and everyone else's views (except, of course, our local Farage lovers) expressed in this thread. I particularly appreciated Alan Butler going to the trouble of posting all those links to papers which demonstrated that Tony's claim that 'there has been NO cost analysis or ecomomic impact assessment of these tortuous lockdowns. Nothing, zilch, nada. (sic)' was just plain wrong.
Yvonne, Tony's defense, like any classic white male bully, that his comment was intended 'irony' (read 'banter') should be treated with the distain it deserves. At nearly 90 I regret we are unlikely to be able to do or say much to enlighten him, or his ilk (read David).
One thing that does make me slightly confused is Tony's passionate defense for the younger generation who, unarguably, have suffered and will continue to pay the price for these (essential) lockdowns. And yet I remember not so long ago him ranting on this very same website about how much he disliked Greta Thunburg and the genuine concerns she (very effectively) promotes regarding the destruction of our planet. Let's face it, her message is on behalf of all young people across the world. It seems to me (and I am far from young) that the state of the economy for generations to come will only matter if this planet can be saved from the self serving, selfish, shortsighted capitalists of this world who appear to be intent on destroying it. Like Trump, for example, who also apparently shares a hatred of Greta. What is it with these self-important, ignorant men? Do you all think David Attenborough is an amateurish fool?
The only way I can see these two views co-existing is if Tony (and probably David, his loyal sidekick) has just decided that ALL science is nonsense. Which appears to becoming a position which is growing popularity in certain circles, along with denial of facts.
Fill yer boots, gents.
If so, I wonder if he appreciates the irony of that stance? Furthermore, does he realise that transparent attempts at bullying when he runs out of argument, as you, Claire, so easily identified, do not reflect well on him?
And if you think women cannot be bullies you should have met my first teacher Fraulein Hofstedetter in Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad) . If you said something she did not agree with she had a touching habit of striking the miscreant across the face with a wooden rule. She picked on the Jews in particular (I think we really revolted her). So even from the age of 5.... I new what a REAL bully looked like.
I met my daughter and grandchildren for lunch yesterday and you would be interested to know that not all children and teens are besotted with Greta.
Anyway this thread has twisted and digressed (and I claim a responsibility in that) but I stand by my original comments re Cheshire Constabulary and their misinterpreting the mask rules. It is still not mandatory to wear masks outdoors.
I am up in the glorious Lakes from tomorrow so doubt the Wifi will be strong,
So I bid you fond adieu , you can carry on the "Tony take down" amongst yourselves. "Sticks and stones" :))
I think you might find some of the broadsheet comments are generally populated by people who share your views? If we were to count how many comments you have posted on this site, for example, I think you will find you are one of the most prolific posters (along with your pal, David, of course). Just a thought, the loudest, most 'outraged', most indignant, most vociferous posters do not necessarily represent a large proportion of the readers. Replies like the ones you post might put people off expressing differing opinions? Like I said, just a thought.
Anyway, I'm glad you saw your family and wish you a lovely break in the lakes.
Don't forget your mask. ;)
I rest my case.