COMMUNITY leaders in Northwich all agree the third national lockdown was 'inevitable' but have backed the town's residents to come together to get through what will undoubtedly be a tough time.

When the Prime Minister made his announcement at 8pm on Monday evening that all of England would be in lockdown, it was the third time since the pandemic hit in March last year he had chosen to do so.

Cllr Sam Naylor said Boris Johnson had 'procrastinated' instead of taking an earlier decision and called for more government support for those workers and local businesses who are going to be affected by it.

He said: "We have learnt too well that Covid-19 thrives on indecision.

"I do worry about the impact this latest lockdown will have on the town and its residents but having lived in the place all my life l know how resilient Northwich people are and l am convinced that with vaccines coming on stream that collectively we can get through this.

Following the announcement, Cheshire West and Chester Council updated its website to offer advice and support the business community but also to signpost residents to various community support organisations who can step in to help in a whole host of ways, from obtaining grants, food and advice on seeking help to tackle anxiety, loneliness and more serious mental health issues.

Cllr Naylor added: "I am confident that the good people of Northwich will stick to the rules and advice, step up to the plate to help each other, willingly accept the vaccine when offered and come out the other side with a renewed determination to continue to make Northwich a fantastic Town to live in."

Fellow Labour councillor Andrew Cooper echoed Cllr Naylor's comments but went on to say how the decision to close schools was 'a difficult one' with potentially damaging long term consequences.

He said: "We know every day spent out of school has an impact on the life chances of all children, especially those living in poverty.

"It is a tragedy that the government spent time only a few weeks ago suing schools wanting to switch to remote learning, rather than giving them time to prepare.

"We also know that 9 out of 10 people earning below the median income are not able to work from home, and we need urgent clarification from the government on what extra support they will be putting in place for families who now need to take care of children and support them in remote learning."

With the latest lockdown likely to be in place until the most vulnerable people in the country are given the opportunity to be vaccinated - some 17 million people - the success of that programme is vital and not likely to hit its target until at least the end of February.

"The certification of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine offers hope that we can get out of this quickly and I hope that teachers and school staff will be prioritised in the vaccine roll out so that we can get children back to school as soon as possible," Cllr Cooper added.

"In the meantime, now, more than ever, it’s important that we’re kind to one another and we continue to look after our neighbours and each other.

"Given how well our community responded in the first lockdown, I have every confidence that we’ll do so again."

Calling the announcement 'an inevitability' Cllr Kate Cernik, a former NHS nurse, also said the decision should have been made sooner.

She said: "The government has been giving us mixed messages, particularly about whether schools should close or not.

"But I totally support the lockdown, because we have to drive down infections to make sure our NHS isn't overwhelmed.

"However, I do have concerns about the impact the lockdown will have on families and people living in poor households and I would hope the government will step in to offer support to these families.

"I am extremely positive about the vaccination programme and I've actually volunteered to become a vaccinator and go back into practice.

"I'm going through my training now so hopefully I can contribute to protecting the people of Northwich once I've got my nursing hat on again."