Karen Bradley: In this week's column on Nub News, the Moorlands MP has shared her latest thoughts on the local Covid outbreaks and the latest restriction updates.

As you will know, the Moorlands has seen an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID 19 connected to several schools in the Leek area.

To make sure that we can best manage this outbreak, surge testing has been introduced in the town.

I want to thank everyone who has responded to the call to get tested.

This is an evolving situation so please do keep an eye on the latest information on testing and vaccinations.

More resources are being put in place this week to allow surge testing of more than 3,000 pupils in Leek and Cheddleton with plans for further community pop-ups and door-to-door testing in the coming days.

I would also like to remind local residents that that the vaccination clinic at Leek Moorlands Hospital is now offering first doses to everyone aged 18 and over who lives or works in Leek.

Details of how to access a vaccine can be found on the Staffordshire County Council website.

At the time of writing this piece, I do not know what the Prime Minister will announce regarding the next steps on his Roadmap out of lockdown.

Being able to operate without restrictions is incredibly important to the large number of Moorlanders who work in the travel and tourism sector, so I was pleased to be able to participate in a debate on these issues in Parliament.

Clearly, keeping people safe and making sure that we do not go backwards is vital and I therefore support the cautious approach to unlocking.

When we do unlock, thanks to the success of the vaccination programme, I hope that people can enjoy our fantastic attractions, including Alton Towers, as they did before we were first affected by COVID.

So many local jobs depend on that reopening, which we are all looking forward to.

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