Tier 4 restrictions impact Newcastle markets

Under tier 4 restrictions, non-essential shops, hairdressers, and leisure and entertainment venues must close, with a new “stay at home” message introduced.

Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for employment and culture at Newcastle City Council said: “It’s with a heavy heart that we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Quayside Market. We know this will be incredibly disappointing for traders, but we need to put public safety first and do all we can to curb the spread of coronavirus in our city.

“Our traders have worked incredibly hard to keep trading in a Covid-secure way, but with the new strain of coronavirus spreading rapidly, we need to take further steps to protect the public.

“We appreciate how devastating the new restrictions will be for traders and we will continue to lobby government for greater support for our businesses, but with rising infection rates public safety is paramount.”

The council re-opened the Quayside Market in December over several weekends to help traders make up for lost trade over the lockdown which ended on 2 December. But given the open nature of the Quayside Market, it was not deemed possible to ensure COVID-secure protocols under the new restrictions could be maintained so the decision was taken to close it on public health grounds.

The Grainger Market will continue to operate with only stalls selling essential goods open. Under the new restrictions, all non-essential retail must close. The Grainger Market has stringent safety measures with staff in place to ensure protocols are followed for shoppers to visit the market safely.

The North East is one of many areas placed into Tier 4 following Matt Hancock's statement in the House of Commons on 30 December, meaning a total of 44 million people (78% of England's population) are in that toughest tier.

Tier 4 restrictions include a warning to stay at home, a limit on household mixing to two people outdoors, and the closure of non-essential shops, as well as hairdressers.