Cheadle funfair cancelled due to Moorlands coronavirus surge

A funfair set for Cheadle from June 4 to 12 has had to be cancelled in the interest of public health. Staffordshire County Council, in liaison with Staffordshire Police, have taken the difficult decision to cancel Warwick’s Funfair due to the risk of Covid-19 variants being spread in the area. Nearby Leek has had over 40 confirmed cases of the Delta Covid-19 Variant of Concern (VOC), first identified in India. The outbreak is centred on three schools and 2 hospitality venues in the area. Latest coronavirus case rates for the Moorlands are 39.6 per 100,000, higher than the England average of 34.2 and the Staffordshire average of 16.6. Dr Richard Harling, Director for Health and Care at Staffordshire County Council said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly. The outbreak in Leek is mainly among older teenagers who are likely to be attracted to a funfair in Cheadle. The Delta variant is highly transmissible and having lots of people mixing would give a good opportunity for the virus to spread. “We know that this will be disappointing for many people, but we have to stop further infections if we are going to get this outbreak under control.”