Please stick to the rules this Easter weekend, says police lead

People in Cleveland are being reminded of the Covid-19 rules still in place, ahead of the bank holiday Easter Weekend.

Superintendent Emily Harrison, who is the Cleveland Police lead for Covid response, is asking people not to give up on their efforts to fight the virus.

As the stay at home message has changed to stay local, Supt. Harrison is asking people to keep to the rules by not having gatherings indoors or meeting more people than they should outdoors.

Frontline officers will continue to engage, explain, and encourage people to follow the rules before taking enforcement action. The policing response to reports of Covid breaches will be assessed alongside other demands for service and emergency calls. Officers looking at Covid reports will prioritise calls about large indoor gatherings or parties, and in these cases, police will move straight to enforcement action.

Superintendent Emily Harrison said: “The change in restrictions allows people to reconnect with their loved ones and safely begin to have more of the social contact that they have been missing.

“Communities have pulled together over the past few months to take responsibility and do what we need to protect the NHS and I thank them for their support for our frontline.

“We mustn’t give up now, we have the vaccine, the weather is changing, and we have a route to get back to normal life. That path is dependent on everyone sticking to the rules at each step of the way. We have come this far, and my ask is that people do not give up yet.”

More information on the laws and guidance in place can be found by visiting www.gov.uk/coronavirus.