Concerns alcohol is helping fuel coronavirus in Hartlepool - but young people defended as cases rise
In the seven days up to September 6 health chiefs said there had been 40 new Covid-19 cases in Hartlepool, and 55 cases in the past 14 days, both higher than the national averages.
Hartlepool Borough Council health bosses said the rise coincides with an increase in young people aged 18-35 testing positive for coronavirus.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad
Councillors on the audit and governance committee said young people cannot be blamed for the rise in cases, adding a variety of groups and organisations need to take responsibility.
However concerns were raised over how people getting drunk can lead to them ignoring social distancing guidelines and an increase in positive Covid-19 cases.
Cllr Marjorie James said: “Many of our young people are of the opinion that you don’t go out on an evening to socialise, meet your friends and have a good time, they go out to get drunk, in many, many cases.
“Once they’ve overindulged in alcohol then social distancing and everything else just goes by the wayside, and I believe very strongly that that’s being mirrored in many towns and villages across the country.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShe added: “The fact is we have a growing population of older people that are fearful [of Covid-19] and we seem to also have a large number of younger people that just go out to get drunk.”
Cllr Lesley Hamilton raised similar concerns over the attitudes of people towards alcohol, noting many nationwide go out to ‘get drunk’ rather than ‘having a couple of drinks and going home’.
Cllr Brenda Harrison agreed there is a difference in attitudes between younger and older people, but said young people cannot be blamed for the rise.
She said: “I don’t think we should be blaming young people.
“I think that a lot of the responsibility for this lies with quite a number of the businesses, the places they go to get drunk, the fact that parents are allowing parties in gardens and large groups of people to meet, this seems to have gone on during lockdown in some cases.
“My view is that the Government should be a little stricter with some of the rules that they’re making, and a little more consistent, because young people are getting a lot of different mixed messages.
“They’re being told they’re going back to school, they’re being told they’re starting university, you can’t possibly socially distance with that.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdCraig Blundred, acting director of public health at the council, also reiterated young people cannot be blamed, and added there is a wide variety of work taking place following the recent ‘significant’ rise in cases.
This includes working with businesses and workplaces to ensure they are Covid secure, and raising awareness to residents of steps they need to take to help mitigate risks.
He said: “We have been hit quite badly by Covid-19 in Hartlepool.
“We’re actually seeing higher numbers of people coming through and testing positive than we have been in the past, and that’s an issue because that means we know there is a higher rate of infection circling in the community.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Our messaging will be looking at that and looking at how we target that, certainly not using that ‘this is being driven by young people’ approach, because there are multiple factors as to why that might happen and it would be detrimental to look at any particular messaging in that way.”