Police tell ‘hundreds of people’ to take their food away from York city centre
Police told hundreds of people to take their food away from York city centre today (Friday).
It comes as the officer in charge of the Covid response has urged people not to gather in the city’s public spaces in the coming days.
City of York Council tweeted that people should take any food they buy away from where they bought it.
In response, the city’s neighbourhood policing team tweeted: “Today, we have had to ask hundreds of people to take their food away from the City Centre.
“It is nice to be able to walk through the city and get something to eat. But please take away to allow enough room for social distancing.”
‘Don’t gather together’
York’s coronavirus case rate continues to fall sharply.
But residents should guard against complacency, the city’s leaders said today.
Superintendent Mike Walker, who is leading North Yorkshire Police’s response to the pandemic, urged people to avoid gathering in the public spaces in and around York.
“We’re still in a precarious position as the infection rate can fluctuate,” he said.
“We must continue to do all we can to abide by the health protection regulations which are designed to limit the spread of the virus.
“This is not the time to become complacent about the virus. We’ve got to keep going and make sure all the hard work and sacrifice has been for the worthwhile purpose – protecting our loved ones and returning to the lifestyle we have taken for granted in the past.
“As for the reckless minority who think the regulations do not apply to them, we will continue to actively target these blatant breaches, while providing a highly-visible and reassuring presence for the wider community who are doing the right thing and helping to tackle this public health crisis.”
Council leader Keith Aspden said: “Our collective efforts are making a difference and is saving lives, so thank you for all you are doing.
“We cannot afford to let our guard down and must keep going. We know this is incredibly challenging, so please continue to keep in touch with friends and family and look after each other.”