Tier 4 travellers in Shropshire warned to self-isolate for 10 days

Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils have issued the guidance which covers anyone who has travelled from Tier 4 areas such as Wales.

People still in Tier 4 areas are being reminded not to travel to the county at all, as per the Government’s new rules, unless for work or education.

Wales, including Powys, was put into Tier 4 by the country’s First Minister Mark Drakeford on Sunday.

More Covid-19 coverage:

• New mutant Covid strain has been in region for weeks, analysis shows

• Latest number of deaths and confirmed cases in your area

• See all the latest coronavirus news at shropshirestar.com/covid19

Shropshire Council’s director of public health, Rachel Robinson, said: “If you were planning on travelling to a Tier 4 area, please don’t and remain at home.

“If you are currently in a Tier 4 region and were planning on returning to Shropshire for Christmas, please stay at home and protect your loved ones.

“We are asking anyone who has travelled to the region from any Tier 4 areas or Wales, to assume they have the new variant of Covid and self-isolate for at least 10 days when they arrive.

“This means remaining inside the house where they’re staying for the whole 10 days.

“Other people who live in the house do not need to self-isolate unless anyone gets symptoms, but no visitors should be allowed in that house at all, even on Christmas Day.”

Liz Noakes, Telford & Wrekin Council’s director of public health, said: “At the moment, Telford and Wrekin is still in Tier 2 but we don’t know to what extent the new coronavirus variant, that is causing a very rapid increase in cases in some parts of the country, is circulating locally as well.

"People have been moving across the country before Saturday’s travel ban was imposed so this might have spread the virus further.

“We all need to act like the new variant is already here and do our utmost best to protect ourselves, our families as well as our community.”

A spokesman for the council added: “We are asking anyone who has travelled to Telford and Wrekin from any Tier 4 area and from Wales to assume that they have the new Covid-19 variant, to self-isolate (for at least 10 whole days when they arrive) and to get a rapid test as soon as they can, at The Place, Oakengates (the rapid testing centre in the borough).”

“Other people from their household do not need to self-isolate unless they get symptoms but no visitors should be allowed in the household at all, not even on Christmas Day.”

The development came after a similar announcement from the West Midlands Local Resilience Forum – which covers Birmingham, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Solihull, Coventry and Walsall.