Leicester’s daily local paper has been providing a lifeline of information to communities affected by the reintroduction of lockdown measures after the city saw a spike in coronavirus cases.

The Leicester Mercury’s front page today reported that non-essential shops will shut again and city schools will be closed to all pupils apart from the children of key workers from Thursday.

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced yesterday the local measures that included advice to stay at home as much as possible, a limit to only essential travel in and out of the city, and added that easing restrictions to reopen pubs and hairdressers will not occur on July 4 in Leicester.

The Mercury has been running a live blog to keep residents up to date with the latest information about the coronavirus restrictions and has also started a poll for the city’s inhabitants to collect their thoughts on the lockdown.

With Leicester being the first city to have lockdown measures reintroduced, LeicestershireLive has reported “a lot of journalists in Leicester city centre this morning reporting on some incredible developments”.

LeicestershireLive reporter Tom Mack added, “There are people about throughout the city centre, as well as several television news crews, but most shops have closed.”

Responding to the crisis, the Prime Minister thanked the people of Leicester for their forbearance in a keynote speech at a technical college in Dudley, West Midlands this afternoon.

However Labour has called on the Health Secretary to reinstate the Downing Street press conference, which was scrapped last week, to answer “outstanding questions” on the local lockdown.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary said: “Number 10 said the afternoon press conferences would now only take place if the government had ‘something really important to say’. 

“We believe the situation in Leicester meets that criteria.”