Lockdown restrictions enforced across North West, Midlands and West Yorkshire 'to curb rising coronavirus rates'

Rebecca Speare-Cole18 September 2020

The Government has confirmed local lockdown restrictions will be enforced across parts of the North West, Midlands and West Yorkshire to “curb rising infection rates”.

New lockdown restrictions will come into force on Tuesday in Merseyside, Warrington, Halton, and Lancashire, excluding Blackpool and Greater Manchester.

Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens.

Hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only.

Meanwhile, late-night operating hours will be limited to between 10pm and 5am for leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas.

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock indicated that a two-week “circuit-breaker” shutdown is among options that will be considered if the surge in Covid-19 cases becomes “more out of control”.

In Merseyside, Warrington, Halton, and Lancashire, apart from Blackpool and Greater Manchester, people are also advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work, and to avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.

The new rules do not apply to Bolton or Greater Manchester where separate restrictions are already in place.

People who are shielding in parts of north-east Blackburn where eight wards are under local restrictions will no longer need to from October 5, bringing them into line with the rest of Blackburn with Darwen where shielding is already due to pause Monday.

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In the Midlands, residents in Wolverhampton and Oadby & Wigston will be banned from socialising with people outside their own households or support bubbles in private homes and gardens from September 22.

Meanwhile in West Yorkshire, residents in all parts of Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale are also banned from socialising with other households or bubbles in private homes and gardens.

Some wards in these areas had previously been exempt from such restrictions but the Government has confirmed they are now all bound by them.

Another change announced is that individuals who are shielding in Leicester will no longer need to from October 5.

On the new restrictions, Mr Hancock said: “We are seeing cases of coronavirus rise fast in Lancashire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, Warrington, Halton and Wolverhampton.

“Local leaders in these areas have asked for stronger restrictions to be put in place to protect local people, and we are acting decisively to support them.

“I know these restrictions will make every-day life harder for many, but I know that residents will work together and respect the rules so we can reduce rates of transmission.

“I urge local people to isolate and get a test if you have symptoms, follow the advice of NHS Test and Trace, and always remember ‘hands, face, space’. By sticking to these steps, we will get through this together.”

The new restrictions follow tougher measures that came into force in the North East on Friday morning.

An average of 6,000 people in England per day were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between September 4 to 10, according to the ONS.

This is up from an average of 3,200 people per day for the period from August 30 to September 5. The figures refer to people in private households.

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