Several newspapers, including the Northern Echo, have reported that rural residents are unhappy that they have been brought into lockdown when cases are not as high there as other parts of the county

The lockdown has been instigated across several councils in the North-East including County Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead, and Newcastle, however levels of the virus cases in rural areas are not as bad as in urban ones.

The mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham warned that the North of England is experiencing the highest number of cases but also the greatest difficulty in accessing tests.

He said more focus on the needs of northern communities and businesses was needed, with large parts of the North under local restrictions and a ‘north-south divide’ on access to testing. He called for the North to be ‘levelled up’ on testing ‘without delay’ in order to tackle the issue.

Yahoo also reports that new data has shown the 49 places where COVID-19 is spreading fastest are all in the North of England.

This follows on from the Government’s policy of imposing local lockdowns and restrictions on specific areas – with the South of England so far unaffected.

Full articles:

Northern Echo - Rural areas unhappy with new Covid restrictions

Yahoo - The 49 places in England where COVID is spreading fastest are all in the north

The Mirror - UK coronavirus cases rise again by 3,899 with 18 more fatalities

Bury Times - Andy Burnham has warned of a 'north-south' divide on testing