DESPITE high levels of coronavirus cases, Carlisle narrowly avoided being placed under a tougher tier system says Cumbria’s director of public health.

It was announced that Cumbria, like many places in the country, will be placed under tier two restrictions when lockdown ends on Wednesday.

However, Carlisle avoided being placed into tier three restrictions by the “skin of its teeth” according to Colin Cox, the county’s director of public health.

He had previously predicted that the county would be placed under tier two restrictions, and welcomed the news when it was announced yesterday.

Mr Cox said: “It’s very much what I was expecting.

“I was predicting that we might go into tier two and, particularly because of the way the rates in Cumbria have been, and the way that most of Cumbria is in the same place in terms of our rates.

“The two areas that have higher rates, Carlisle and South Lakeland, are higher because of very specific outbreaks and are now coming under control.

“The numbers are slowing down and are now coming down.

“I wasn’t expecting anywhere to be put into tier three and you see from the list that there is almost nowhere in tier one.”

Mr Cox explained how tier two is here to “hold the line”, keeping things as they are and will help to improve the situation in Cumbria.

Tier three is designed for where the rates are rising but as Cumbria is seeing rates declining or stabilising, tier two was chosen as the best option.

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