Matt Hancock BANS households in parts of Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire from meeting indoors

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock has banned different households in parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire as well as Greater Manchester from meeting indoors as of midnight tonight.

He said the new lockdown measures – set to affect around four and a half million people – were put in force after repeated rule breaches led to a spike in new coronavirus cases. It is by far the biggest reimposition of restrictions seen yet.

It came amid fears Britain is heading for an early second wave following a surge in infections in European countries including Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia.

Boris Johnson today warned of a resurgence as the UK reported the highest daily total of Covid-19 cases for more than a month. There were 846 new infections, the greatest number recorded since June 28 when there were 901. 

Blackburn with Darwen – the worst-hit authority in the country – will be subject to the new rules, as will Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees as well as all of Greater Manchester.

Separate households in the regions are now banned from meeting in any indoor areas – including homes, pubs and restaurants.

Tonight it remained unclear whether venues would have to close indoor spaces entirely, or whether families from the locked-down areas could meet relatives indoors in other parts of the country.

The measures are set to throw plans to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha with families into chaos for hundreds of thousands of Muslims living in the affected regions. 

Mr Hancock said: ‘We’re looking at the data and unfortunately we’ve seen across parts of northern England an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus.

‘So today I held a meeting of the Government’s Gold Committee and working with local leaders – including for instance Andy Burnham, the mayor Greater Manchester – we’ve decided that we need to take greater action across Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire.

‘So from midnight tonight, we are banning households meeting up indoors. 

‘We take this action with a heavy heart but unfortunately it’s necessary because we’ve seen that households meeting up and a lack of social distancing is one of the causes of this rising rate of coronavirus and we will do whatever is necessary to keep the country safe.’ 

Figures from Public Health England showed that the rates of infection in two of the affected districts were nearly twice as high as the national average.

Bradford recorded 928.6 cases per 100,000 people with Blackburn with Darwen at 922.5 per 100,000. The overall rate for England is 465.4 per 100,000.

But the Health Secretary is most concerned about the speed at which these infection rates have increased and he said the uptick was partly due to residents ignoring social distancing rules.

Mr Hancock added: ‘Across parts of northern England we’ve seen an increase in the rates of coronavirus and one of the reasons for that increase is that we’ve seen households gathering and not abiding by the social distancing rules.

‘And that means that we’ve had to take the decision to ban households meeting together indoors.’ 

The new lockdown rules come as:

• Ministers confirmed people who now test positive for coronavirus or have tell-tale symptoms will be told to stay at home for ten days — up from the current seven-day self-isolation period;
• Boris Johnson is set to be add more countries to the UK quarantine list tomorrow;
• Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Chris Whitty want tougher border controls immediately after figures show 1,300 people with Covid-19 entered the UK at the start of the pandemic;
• Holiday giant Tui is closing 166 high street stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, the UK’s biggest tour operator announced;
• Up to 21,000 people have died because of unintended consequences of lockdown – many due to a lack of access to healthcare, according to a shocking study.

The lockdown covers a much greater area than Leicester’s which was imposed at the end of last month and could be finally eased. It will raise concerns that other areas will follow suit.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: ‘Over recent days, there has been a marked change in the picture across Greater Manchester with regard to the spread of Covid-19.

‘We have gone from a falling rate of cases in nearly all of our boroughs last week to a rising rate in nine out of 10 affecting communities across a much wider geography. In Rochdale, the one borough where cases have fallen, they are still too high.

‘We have always said that we will remain vigilant and be ready to respond quickly should the need arise. In line with that approach, I have agreed with the Health Secretary that it is right to act on the precautionary principle and introduce modest measures now to bring down the rate of new infections.

‘I ask all Greater Manchester residents – young and old alike – to protect each other by observing these new requirements. They will be reviewed weekly; meaning the more we stick to them, the quicker they will be removed.

‘This is a place which prides itself on looking out for each other. We now need to be true to that by not acting selfishly and keeping the health of others in mind at all times.’ 

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the decision is the ‘right’ one.

She tweeted: ‘The UK government is right to act quickly if they think the situation warrants it.

‘But this is a sharp reminder that the threat of this virus is still very real. Please abide by the all FACTS advice and stay safe.’

MP for Oldham, in Greater Manchester, and shadow transport minister Jim McMahon said there needs to be more clarity over what the Government is doing to support those in areas affected by new lockdown restrictions.

He tweeted: ‘On the face of it, for Oldham borough residents this is the same restriction announced already this week, replicated in further areas.

‘As well as publishing a list, I’m sure all of us would welcome the Government adding what more they will do to support us, jobs and our economy.’

Labour MP for Manchester Central Lucy Powell tweeted: ‘Trying to get further information about this but it seems two households can no longer meet indoors in GM.

‘Particular concerns in certain boroughs but restrictions applying across GM.’ 

Mr Johnson last night urged the UK not to ‘delude’ itself into thinking the pandemic was over as he warned of up to 30 places where outbreaks were ‘bubbling up’. The Prime Minister called on the public not to ‘lose focus’.

On a visit to North Yorkshire, Mr Johnson said there would be ‘real consequences’ that would put the economic recovery in jeopardy if the virus was allowed to make a ‘damaging’ comeback. 

His cautious message came as Mr Hancock warned that there was a ‘second wave rolling across Europe’ and the country must ‘do everything in our power to stop it reaching our shores’.

Challenged on whether his remarks were risking hysteria at a time when infection levels in the UK are still significantly down from their peak, Mr Hancock told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I’m the Health Secretary in the middle of a global pandemic, so you’ll excuse me for being concerned about the health of the British people and that is absolutely at the front of my mind.’

Ministers were warned on Thursday not to fuel hysteria over a resurgence in the virus, with Labour MP Chris Bryant saying: ‘It makes me so angry that the Government are so loose with their language. There isn’t a second wave rolling out across Europe.’

Mr Johnson is also coming under pressure from within his own party not to panic over the rise in infection rates. 

A group of more than 30 backbenchers led by Henry Smith is expected to send him a letter that calls for the introduction of testing at airports to help travellers reduce the length of time they have to quarantine for if they arrive from an at-risk country.

Lord Lamont, the Tory former chancellor, last night urged ministers not to lose focus on the economic recovery and warned them against taking blanket measures across the whole economy.

He said: ‘The one thing we cannot afford is another total lockdown. The economy has got a long uphill struggle.’ The Daily Mail revealed earlier this week how the Prime Minister is ‘extremely concerned’ about the possibility a second spike of infections could start in the next two weeks.

His remarks in recent days come in stark contrast to his message a fortnight ago when he expressed hope that all social distancing restrictions may be ditched in time for Christmas. 

On Thursday Mr Johnson insisted Britain has had ‘massive success’ in bringing down mortality rates but he warned that the country could not rest on its laurels. He said: ‘I have to tell you that we’re looking at a resurgence of the virus in some other European countries, you can see what’s been happening in the United States.

‘So it is absolutely vital as a country we continue to keep our focus and discipline, and that we don’t delude ourselves that somehow we’re out of the woods or that this is all over, because it isn’t all over.’

Despite the rise in the level of infections, the numbers are still way below the peak on May 1 when 6,201 cases were confirmed in just one day.