Tier 3 restrictions came into effect at midnight
Crowds poured into the streets of Liverpool city centre on Tuesday night as clubs shut, with revellers mingling and filling up the streets just two hours before new lockdown restrictions came into force.
Footage posted to social media showed a large number of people standing talking and embracing on the street after pubs had closed at 10pm.
Labelled ‘high risk’, the Tier 3 restrictions which came into effect in the area mean that among restrictions on mixing inside and outside households, pubs and bars that don’t serve food must close.
Liverpool city centre two hours before going into lockdown. pic.twitter.com/8JISPWwmXL
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Speaking to Sky News, doctors in Liverpool said they were “disgusted” at what they had seen.
“They don’t care that people are dying from this disease, it is heart-breaking to watch,” one said.
“We have limited capacity in our ITUs across the network, but more worryingly, we have people in the corridors on trolleys waiting for beds,” said another.
Intensive care bed capacity in the city’s hospitals is now at 90 percent, according to Liverpool city councillor Paul Brant, who told the BBC’s Today programme: “At the current rate of increase, we would expect Liverpool to surpass the peak of the first wave probably within the next seven to 10 days.”
