THE leader of Wiltshire Council has urged people to do all they can to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Philip Whitehead spoke out as a new tiered system of restrictions was put in place by the government.

Wiltshire has been placed in the lower ranking – Tier 1 (medium), meaning people can continue going about their everyday lives while following the current national safety measures in place.

Mr Whitehead said: “We cannot thank residents and businesses enough for their efforts so far. We still must ensure our activities are carried out in a safe way to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and protect our local communities.

“One of the ways we can do this is to shop local and support our local businesses that are doing so much to ensure their customers and staff are safe.

"We are fortunate in Wiltshire to have high streets full of independent retailers and small enterprises offering a wide range of locally produced, niche and essential everyday products and services. These shops and local businesses are at the heart of our local community, so it is vital we show them our support.

“Shopping local supports the local economy and protects local jobs too, helping to ensure Wiltshire’s economy remains vibrant and diverse in the future.

“The stricter measures in the high and very high rankings would have a detrimental impact on local businesses, which are still trying to cope with the challenges already presented by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as residents that are getting back to doing the things they enjoyed with their friends and family.

“Covid-19 does not spread itself, but by individuals passing it on. So, if the infection rate is rising it is because we are spreading it. We all have the power to do our bit to stay safe by social distancing, good hand hygiene, wearing face coverings where required, shop local and support Wiltshire.”

The three-tiered system aims to be simpler to follow.

Tier 1 (medium) – follow current national measures including the rule of six if meeting indoors or outdoors and the 10pm curfew on hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants.

Tier 2 (high) – no social mixing with other households indoors and the rule of six will apply outdoors.

Tier 3 (very high) – no social mixing with other households both indoors and in private gardens and pubs / bars will be closed unless they can operate as restaurants, serving alcohol only as part of a meal. Wedding receptions are not allowed, and people will be advised to avoid non-essential travel in and out of the area. People should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident in a ‘very high’ area or avoid staying overnight in these areas if they live elsewhere.

A postcode checker is available on www.gov.ukand shows which alert level applies in each area. The NHS Covid-19 app will also direct people to this information.