Lets start the fightback against covid. So how have people here handled the crisis . Looking forward to going back to school . It feels so, so good to be out. And will their sacrifices be worth it . I plead to people, beg people, beg them, to follow the rules. Liverpool. A vibrant capital of culture. A Tourism Industry worth nearly £5 billion. And officially the best Football Team in the world. Radio Liverpool City Region is to be placed under tougher restrictions as the area is classed as high risk. Our area will be the first to face the tightest rules. In this city, and probably most cities, the taxi drivers and cabbies are the litmus test of how well the city is doing. The taxi ranks are full and the shops are empty. Garys customers are few and far between now liverpools under tight restrictions. On a normal day, even, you know, late october, this area would be absolutely full of people. A sort of hive of activity. Yeah. So, its dead. Its absolutely dead at the moment. Its all come as the city once a great port has reinvented itself as a cultural and tourist destination. So this is the baltic area of liverpool. Its been redeveloped over the last ten years, really exciting area. One of the crown jewels of the baltic is 24 kitchin street. Dont watch what it looks like, wait until you get inside youll realise the magic. Yeah, looks intriguing. Yaw runs some of liverpools music festivals. This is a key venue. Youve got to put this in context with what the cavern was maybe doing in the late 505, early 605. But its silent now. Its a bit dusty, a bit sad. For yaw, its not just a struggle for survival but for the soul of the city. Weve had a massive cultural rennaisance here and weve been shouting from the rooftops all over the world what this city is about. If tier 3 continues or it escalates and we cant do these things that were known for, cant continue to grow in those areas that were known for. Then what does the city look like at that point . And yaw fears therell be long term damage. When you turn on the news and it says liverpools the worst, liverpools the leader and its out of control. Those phrases are really starting to have a massive impact. The governments trying to avoid a National Lockdown in england, as a second wave of coronavirus begins to break. Liverpool University Hospitals Nhs Foundation trust. Only the liverpools city region is under the toughest measures, with pubs that dont serve meals forced to close. Some businesses are closed. Stricter rules on meeting between households. No journeys that arent essential. The government gives the region Financial Support £41; million. I go to talk to the city mayorjoe anderson born and raised in liverpool. I grew up in the docks. You know, we had a tough upbringing. It was, er, you know, lived in poverty, depended on social services as a kid. That sense of community where i lived, are the things that drive me and keep me passionate about the best for our city. Now in charge of that city, joes had to implement the toughest rules in england to tackle covid. It was worrying, it was frightening because of the infection rates and the hospital admission rates were going up. We were putting out messages to try to stop people mixing, socialising, doing all of the things that, you know, we wanted them to do to stop the spread. But it wasnt working so, you know, we were really concerned. I think the anxiety was palpable. Just two days into tier 3, the mayor himself felt the full force of covid his own brother, bill, became sick. He was taken into hospital, in icu. Because he started then to struggle. He was taken into hospital, put in the icu unit in the Royal Liverpool hospital, treated superbly by the staff. But within sort of eight, nine hours, hed succumbed to the pressure of the coronavirus and died. Not being able to say goodbye, not being able to be there, to hold his hand. Thats, you know, its devastating, its heart breaking. One and a half Million People across the city region are now knuckling down under the new tier 3 rules. We wanted to know how people felt about it. Panorama carried out a poll of almost 900 people across the Liverpool City Region. 62 said they were in support of going into tier 3. People in the city have been touched, people in the city have been affected by covid. So it doesnt surprise me that 60 , im surprised its as low as that, really. Professor calum semple is on the Government Sage Committee and he lives just across the mersey. Liverpools a wonderful, vibrant city with quite a Strong Industrial base. The population is culturally very diverse as well. But we sadly do have pockets of some of the greatest multiple deprivation in britain, in fact in europe. Calum is a specialist in disease outbreaks like coronavirus. Tell me about liverpools demographic, and why that feeds into the covid situation . The highest levels of covid activity mirror the areas where theres highest degrees of deprivation. And thats because theres been generations of poor diet, multiple occupancy within houses. Viruses, they pick on people. They dont pick on the strong and the healthy. They pick on the weak. Calums own view is the first National Lockdown in march ended too soon for the north west. While the south and south east were really at very very low levels, we were still seeing sustained transmission in the community. To put it into context, if this was a fire and the lockdown starved that fire of oxygen, then the fire went out in the south, to all intents and purposes. Whereas in the north, the embers were still glowing. And when the oxygen was put back in, the bonfire started again. We asked people how closely they were following the restrictions. 86 said they were sticking to the rules all or most of the time. But i keep hearing from people here that the rules dont all make sense. Im on a ferry crossing the mersey to the wirral to visit one business that became the centre of a row over tier 3 rules. This is the body tech gym. Im 79. But fully functional. Ioo operational. Regulars like william rely on it and its keeping him going. Its the social aspect of my life. I attend the gym six days a week. It is my reason for living, if you like. Under tier 3, all gyms across Liverpool City Region were told to close. Nick is the owner here he thought it was wrong. Its opening up wounds that had onlyjust started to heal and its like, here we go again. This time it doesnt seem just. We dont have a high street anymore, you know theres nothing left. Its literally all thats left in our little town. So for me personally its everything. And i speak, i believe i speak for my members when i say it is for them as well. Nick grew up here and as a teenager founded a free running club. When we were younger its all we had to kind of channel our energy, you know. We lost our youth clubs and Everything Else quite early so all we really had was each other. That Community Spirits really stuck with me. Now nicks got a battle on his hands. The datas unclear, but he argues theres only a small risk of gyms spreading the virus. We were going to stand strong, not because we were reckless but because we had the governments own data which supported our cause. How does it take an uneducated Business Owner from liverpool to articulate governments own data back to them . The first day the Police Arrived in force. Nick was fined £1000, but refused to close his gym. Others in liverpool are also resisting the rules imposed by westminster. Please sir, can i have some more . Sorry, son, we dont give to the north. People take to the streets some covid deniers. Others angry about money. I think that it puts people at risk of poverty, its going to bring poverty to the city. Frustrated about the rules. Are you abiding by the rules . No, not abiding by them. Just because itsjust, i feel like its a violation against my own freedom. I just feel like theyre taking away, like, ourfreedom. You know, like our rights. You took us scousers for granted. We were the wrong city to test. And now were shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the north west. This car boot sale is still open in sefton. Here, people who dont wear masks are a problem for dave. Thats a nice neckerchief. He is trying his best to get people to stay safe. Put your mask on. Why are they keeping non essential shops open . But you have a car boot sale . I dont know about you, but i breathe through my mouth, not my pocket. We just dont want to be on peoples back all the time about it. However, theyre starting to now get it now, the reason why. Theres a chap who is a lovely, lovely man, who used to come here, and he wouldnt wear a mask. That its not just here hes caught this. But he got it and hes died, hes died of covid i9. It shocked the hell out of me. I was like, i was, i physically stopped at the gate and i had tears in my eyes. Every time we seen him, we asked him to wear a mask. And he wouldnt do it, because he was, i dont need one. Ah, its a load of rubbish. Oh god, hes dead, hes dead. People really need to say, well hang on, what use are my civil rights, human rights, when im six foot under because i wouldnt put a mask on . There is some government and Council Support in liverpool under tier 3, but deprived communities are feeling the pressure. For a century, the florrie has been at the heart of toxteth and dingle. They are going out to 200 children today. Anne runs the centre. Its half term so theyre focusing on getting food donations out to families. Have you found that things have got worse for local families during tier 3 . Is there a recognisable difference . Absolutely. Absolutely theres a difference. What were finding is were seeing more and more people who are coming to us because theyve lost theirjobs because of covid and because of tier 3 and a new lockdown. The team from the florrie is carrying out welfare checks in the neighbourhood. You coping ok . Plenty of people coming to see you . Its only my daughter, thats all. My son comes but hell only stay at the door. Its hard for you not to see them as well, isnt it . Yes. People are so confused about it. So especially older people, like theyre worried. Theyll stay in and wait until theyre told what they can and cannot do. But theres been so many different messages around what tier 3 means. A lot of people are scared to go to the shops. You know, theyre scared to leave their homes, a lot of people. Near the florrie im meeting someone who is doing her best to follow the rules. Hello. You must be rachel . Iam. Rachels son has to self isolate. Like thousands of children in liverpool, hes been sent home because someone in his class got the virus. His characters completed changed in lockdown. To get back to school in september was amazing for him, but i feel us being isolated and sent home last thursday. He keeps dropping in conversation again, oh, mummy, i want to go back to school. Were not going back into lockdown, are we, mum . You know you have your good days, you have your bad days, people are calling it the coronacoaster. Im trying my best to do what i can to stay upbeat. Rachel agrees with the restrictions. Jarron has a medical condition that makes him vulnerable to the virus. Its not really good on peoples well being and mental health. There just seems no end, like theres no end to this. Its the night before halloween in the streets around the florrie and its traditionalfor kids to be out making mayhem. The police are keeping a watchful eye. People shouldnt be out mixing in large groups. In the last three weeks, more than 230 fines have been issued across merseyside for breaking covid rules. But theres good news for one man in his stand off with the law. Bbc radio merseyside. Liverpools city mayor has exclusively revealed gyms will now be able reopen. The governments changed its mind nicks no longer breaking the law by keeping his gym open. How does it feel to have your door open . It means everything, notjust to myself but to our community, you know. Its incredible. Ive experienced no feeling like it before in my life. You know, its a victory, not just for me, not just for our region, but for the country as a whole. This is a good day, its a really good day for all of us. A victory for nick and the gym, but theres bad news for liverpool. Liverpools hospitals are now treating more people for coronavirus than they did in the peak in april. Hospital beds are filling up fast. The virus is out of control and takes no prisoners. So concerned is the council, its sent cameras into the citys main hospital, the royal. The mayor gives the public a stark message. Im telling you that your actions can and will make a difference. Our wards are becoming very, very full. So many people are dying of covid across the liverpool region, so many families affected by the tragedy. Im off to meet someone whos just lost a loved one. Jack, nice to see you. Im really sorry to disturb you. Dont worry. Such a difficult time for you and your family. Just tell us a bit about pamela. Was she younger than you or older than you . No, she was older than me. She was ten years older than me. She said, this is my baby brother. She was proud of me. She come to my passing out when i was in the army. I was 17 years of age and that was the most proudest day of my life. And mum was there, my sister. Jack was with his sister pamela at Aintree Hospital when she died. The nurse and the doctors are running round, running round, and i just felt for them. Theyre marvellous, they were angels, and you know, the doctors were just superhuman. It must have been so hard. Ive seen it, ive seen the nhs breaking under the strain. Theyre not broke yet, but theyre breaking. Theyre nearly there. Ive not seen my grandkids, ive not seen my children for weeks and months. You know, it hurts but i dont want to die, i dont want them to die, i want to see them, i want a good life. If you dont follow the rules, well be in this lockdown again and lockdown again and lockdown again and because youre not following the rules. And ijust say, i plead to people, i beg people, beg to follow the rules. Cos do you want your sister to die . Do you want your dad to die . Do you want your brothers to die . Your sons . No, you dont. Im sorry. Theres a glimmer of hope for the city. Theres a time lag between people getting the virus and then being admitted to hospital. And the infection rate has started to drop. So, is tier 3 working for liverpool . Its very hard to say that its working or working well enough. My personal opinion is that its led to a decrease in transmission, but not enough. So, if you like, the outbreak has risen, starting to plateau. But its plateauing at a bad place. Its not coming down. So weve got high levels of activity of covid in the community, high admission rates and high admission rates to intensive care, and they will result in deaths. Notjust in liverpool the government is saying its data predicts a high death toll across the country. Its scientists are warning the virus is spreading too quickly despite the sacrifices made by people under local restrictions. Earlier id met elaine and peter. Their business was struggling under tier 3. They ran three spanish restaurants in the north west, two of them in liverpool. Theyd already had to make tough decisions. Following the march lockdown, they were forced to close one restaurant, making a third of their staff redundant. We were predicting catastrophic losses of about £14,000 to £15,000 a week. That would have collapsed the whole company so thats why we made that decision. Wed planned a zoom call. Eventually, we did it between nine and ten, as we were trying to. Trying to get the courage to give people, you know, some really, you know, what was going to be awful news. Theirjobs were disappearing and, you know, we didnt say this. But, you know, the reality was going to be that no one was going to find it easy to get another job. We know that if our business fails, then 60 odd people will lose theirjobs. And thats going to have a massive, massive impact on them and their families. So, yeah, itsjust a huge, huge responsibility to try and not let that happen, and to try and survive into next year. Lunya had stayed open under tier 3, yet few people came because of the restrictions. It feels like were in this land of the living dead at the moment, waiting for an announcement to say, right, its full closure. And for us at the moment, full closure would be more beneficial than the state were in at the moment. The city region found £40 million to support hospitality and leisure under tier 3. Peter and elaine have had some financial help. Back in september they wanted a National Lockdown, not local restrictions. They thought their business would have a better chance of survival. People in england are facing a new lockdown, scheduled to last a month. I mean, sadly not remotely surprised, but profoundly disappointed and frustrated that it is. Its like groundhog day. I was with peter as the Prime Minister announced a second National Lockdown. Pubs, bars, restaurants must close. And how do you think you and people in liverpool feel having gone through tier 3 and now to hear this . I think theres a very sad and smug, we told you so. More livelihoods wouldve been saved in september. Locally were having to suffer further because nationally theyre behind the curve. And its like a double whammy for us. This time schools are staying open during lockdown. Morning, rachel. Morning, how are you doing . Morning, jarron, how are you . Its a relief for rachel now jarrons finished his quarantine. Looking forward to taking him back to school . Feels so good to get back out. How about you, jarron . Looking forward to going back to school . Excited to see your friends and your teachers . For now, theyre making the most of it. Its still like dangling a carrot in front of us saying, come on, you can come out fiow, but we dont know whats coming on the next weeks news. That evening, the city locks down along with the rest of england. Nick closes his gym once more. Some people are back in the streets here, still denying the dangers of covid, angry at the authorities. Nearly 2,000 people have died in the city region during the pandemic. But after everything liverpools been through, its been thrown a lifeline. If you live or work in liverpool, you can get tested whether you have symptoms or not. And people are queuing round the block to take advantage of it. Anyone in liverpool can now be tested. The citys at the forefront for a Mass Testing Programme supported by the army. Those with no symptoms can attend these centres to help stop the virus spreading undetected. The mayor seized the opportunity when the government came calling. I bit their hand off, and i said absolutely yes, so lets have it, lets bring it on. If its successful and i think it will be, then what it can help us do as well is notjust here in liverpool or Liverpool City Region, or the north west, it can help us across the country. It means people can try to go back to a sort of normal. I promise you wont find a more resilient and tougher group of people than scousers. Many people have tried to stamp us down and not many have succeeded. Well unite and come through it. Welcome to bbc news. Im mike embley. Our top stories president elect on the President Joe Biden says Donald Trumps refusal to concede the election is an embarrassment. How can i say this tactfully . I think it will not help the president s legacy. A long awaited vatican report finds two popes, and other officials, ignored allegations of sex abuse against a former us cardinal. Russian peacekeeping forces begin deploying in nagorno karabakh. The peace deal has prompted celebrations in azerbaijan and angry scenes in armenia. And tributes are paid to the veteran Palestinian Peace negotiator, saeb erekat, who has died after contracting coronavirus
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