MORE indoor entertainment venues in Warrington are to close on Monday as Tier 3 rules are strengthened.

The toughest set of lockdown rules were introduced in Warrington on Tuesday with pubs not serving food, soft plays and adult gaming centres closing.

But coronavirus rates remain high with almost 900 confirmed in the past seven days.

These new rules will come in from 00.01am on Monday.

It means Warrington residents are under the toughest set of restrictions of anywhere in the country.

Now more venues have been added to the list of closures.

  • Bowling alleys (two in Warrington)
  • Cinemas (Cineworld was already closed, Odeon must now follow)
  • Concert halls, theatres, musical performance venues
  • Circuses, funfairs and fixed fairgrounds
  • Bingo halls (one at Cockhedge)

Car boot sales, including those that take place outdoors, must also close completely. This affects the one in Winwick.

There will also be additional measures for shisha bars/cafes remaining open in line with the current rules, but with restrictions on the use of shisha pipes, which must not be shared.

Warrington Guardian:

Council chiefs say the decision came due to Warrington Hospital being at almost capacity.

More than 40 people have died this month and 17 remain in intensive care.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Russ Bowden, said: “This has been a painful decision to make for our local businesses, but for the sake of the health of our most vulnerable and elderly loved ones, it is the right path to follow for our town. Put simply, the fewer enclosed public venues that remain open, the lower the risk of the virus being transmitted.

READ MORE > Warrington's road to Tier 3

“We have pored over the evidence available from national experts and the local data we have and given our current situation in Warrington we have to take action now. Make no mistake – the current capacity in our hospital, and the availability of intensive care beds, is at an absolutely critical point. And with more than 40 coronavirus-related deaths this month already, we cannot simply stand by and do nothing given the urgency of this escalating public health situation.

Warrington Guardian: Cllr Russ Bowden has a challenging task on his hands

“I want to reassure affected businesses and venues that must now close, that financial support will be made available in line with the settlement we agreed with government as part of our move to tier 3. Our officers are currently working through the allocation of this funding and we will make clear how you can access this support through the council website, in the coming days.

“I know this will be a disappointing decision for many of our residents and businesses but, taking an evidence-based view, we know that we need to do more at this point to address the continued high case numbers in our town. The number of people testing positive for coronavirus is just not coming down, and with more people being admitted into hospital, at the beginning of what will be a very testing winter period, we need to act now. It appears inevitable that other areas are likely to follow our lead, given that rates across much of the North West and beyond remain high and are rising.

“I want to thank all of our residents for their commitment to playing their part. Giving up the last seven months of your ‘normal lives’ by following the rules and restrictions could well be the reason someone else is alive today – whether you know them or not. Don’t lose sight of that. And don’t lose sight of the basics amidst the additional rules, like frequently washing your hands, wearing a face covering, maintaining social distance, and reducing the number of social interactions, which are the most effective steps we can all take.”