SLOUGH Council’s leader is supporting new lockdown measures in efforts to curb the ‘climbing’ coronavirus cases in the borough.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced England would enter a third national lockdown, involving closing all schools until mid-February, as coronavirus infections and hospital admissions rocketed due to the new variant.

Before this, Slough, along with the rest of Berkshire, was placed into Tier 4 with a ‘stay at home’ message because of the more transmissible virus.

Reacting to Mr Johnson’s announcement, councillor James Swindlehurst (Labour: Cippenham Green), leader of Slough Borough Council, supported the new lockdown given the borough’s ‘climbing’ coronavirus cases.

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Yesterday (January 5), the council said Slough had a case rate of 1001.1 per 100,000 population and 85 residents are in hospital due to the coronavirus.

He also said the council is ‘undertaking’ a mass Covid-test programme from mid-January and are recruiting more ‘Covid support and advice officers’, taking the number of staff to 16.

Cllr Swindlehurst said: “I know that the scale of the measures announced by national government will require our residents to make further sacrifices and that the next seven weeks will be a long haul – but given Slough’s significantly climbed and climbing Covid case numbers, even while in Tier 3 and Tier 4, I support this new lockdown.

“We are undertaking a mass covid-testing programme locally from mid-January, and recruiting more covid support and advice officers – bringing those staff up to 16 in total. I urge residents to support each other and follow the restrictions during the difficult weeks ahead, and contact the Council call centre on 01753 475111 or OneSlough’s call centre 01753 944198 if they need assistance or support.

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“Details of the further support available for local businesses will be posted on the council’s website shortly, as we know this will be a particularly difficult few weeks for them.”