THE Conservative group on Bradford Council has raised major concerns about the impact Tier 3 will have on the district and say a move to the highest level should be a "last resort".

Talks are ongoing today between local leaders and the Government. 

Conservative councillors said local restrictions - and then Tier 2 restrictions - have not reduced cases.

Councillor Rebecca Poulsen, Leader of the Conservative group, said: "After months of local restrictions a move to Tier 3 should be a last resort. 

"There is a huge impact on mental health and well-being and severe damage to the local economy.

"We seem to have hit restriction fatigue with some people and with the percentage of people isolating when advised to dropping, it is a big worry.

"We desperately need everyone to follow the rules of hands, face and space to protect each other. These are key messages that we all need to live with. 

"Over recent days we seem to be hearing that West Yorkshire council leaders are pushing for Tier 3 measures, but what would these actually be, as council leaders have the flexibility to add on extra restrictions to the basic Tier 3. 

"If Tier 2 measures are not being followed by all, will the tougher Tier 3 be followed? We need to be getting out the basic message locally and providing local support. 

"Many people who had operations cancelled that weren’t urgent but now have become urgent puts more stress on the NHS. 

"The quality of life of many is being impacted particularly where access to outside space is limited.  Sadly, in some cases the old adage 'the cure is more damaging than the illness' seems to be true.”

Mike Pollard, councillor for Baildon, hit out at a total 'circuit breaker' lockdown.

He said: “I am of course aware that Sir Keir Starmer has even less need for any semblance of fiscal continence to be maintained than Mr Sunak, but regardless of that, it’s nonsense.

"What happens at the end of a ‘two-three weeks’ lockdown, given the lagging indicators of initial infection, through incubation, appearance of symptoms, to a proportion with severe illness, some of those to hospitalisation, ICU etc? 

"The end of a three-week period might well see infection rates starting to decline reasonably well, but the daily doom laden data on the Government ‘dashboard’ relating to hospital admission, ICU capacity usage and death, will be just reaching a fresh peak.  

"So then three weeks will turn into six and then what? Back to Tier 3 or 2 or 1?"

Queensbury councillor Robert Hargreaves added: “We simply cannot drag our residents into further restrictions when Bradford, or the majority of it, has already faced what has essentially been two months of Tier 2.

"The time has come to start looking after mental health, physical health and accept that we need to find a way to live with Covid-19.

"It is increasingly clear that the local Labour leadership is rubbing it’s hands at the prospect of extra funding without even a second thought of the cost to the people they are supposed to represent. Unless we are very careful, we will end up with mental health, physical health and economic crises far worse than that of Covid-19.

"In Bradford we need to get Tier 2 right, get health professionals like GPs and mental health expects back seeing patients and avoid further restrictions, none more so than Sir Kier’s train wreck ‘circuit breaker’."

Bradford Council has been contacted for comment.