People must act now to avoid a local lockdown in the coming weeks, Middlesbrough’s elected mayor has said.
Andy Preston issued a warning that it was “beyond urgent” that local people acted now, and urged residents to wear masks and stick to the social distancing rules.
Middlesbrough Council and Public Health England have responded to several coronavirus outbreaks in the town, with measures brought in to tackle clusters.
But Mr Preston was worried that more cases could lead the Government to step in.
He said: “It’s never our intention to cause unnecessary alarm, but as a town we need to get a grip of this virus and break the chains of transmission now.
“The problem we have is a scattering of cases from different parts of Middlesbrough that have the potential to grow.
“It’s now beyond urgent that we do all we can to stop the spread.
“Please wear a face covering – for your sake and everyone else’s.
“Wash your hands, keep your distance from those you don’t live with and remember the more contact you have with others the more likely it is you will be infected.”
He spoke out after 14 positive tests were reported on Wednesday, following 12 on Tuesday and eight on Monday.
The positive tests spanned a wide age range and different ethnicities, with several separate sources of infection under investigation, Middlesbrough Council said.
