Coronavirus: Tougher restrictions in north east as Covid-19 cases increase, Cabinet minister confirms to ITV
North east England will come under local restrictions as coronavirus cases continue to rise, a Cabinet minister has confirmed to ITV.
Housing minister Robert Jenrick told ITV’s Peston show that the new measures will be introduced later this week.
Mr Jenrick said: “The number of cases have been rising rapidly in many parts of the country but in particularly in the north east, so a decision has been made to impose further restrictions there and a full announcement will be made tomorrow (Thursday).
“So people living in that part of the country should watch out for that.
“Over the course of the day a full briefing will be made available to everybody, including the councils and business community in that area.”
The new restrictions will be introduced just after midnight on Friday.
The restrictions are expected to include a 10pm curfew on pubs, restaurants and other licensed premises, the Chronicle Live website reported.
It also said people will be banned from socialising with anyone outside their household.
Other restrictions it said were due to be announced but had not yet been confirmed include people being told not to go on holiday with different households and spectators advised not to attend sporting venues.
ITV News Political Correspondent Romilly Weeks explains the new restrictions will affect around two million people across a huge swathe of north east England
It said care home visits will be restricted to essential visitors, and people will be advised to avoid public transport at peak times except for essential journeys, and to avoid car-shares.
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said “additional, temporary” measures are being planned to prevent another full lockdown.
He said he expected Health Secretary Matt Hancock to make an announcement on Thursday morning.
In a statement Cllr Forbes said towns and cities in the north east have some of the "highest infection rates in the country".
"We are not prepared to sit and wait for government to tell us what to do," he said.
“Cases of COVID-19 are increasing rapidly across our region, and it is only right that we take a joined-up approach to protect residents right across the north east.
“Together, we want to take action now to take back control and stop this virus ripping through our communities."
Cllr Forbes said a large proportion of transmission was happening in restaurants, pubs and bars and in people's homes and added "we need to be able to target these areas among others."
“But we also need greater control over test and trace, to be able to fully understand the outbreaks as they occur and work with Public Health England and the NHS to implement effective outbreak control," the statement added.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We constantly monitor infection rates across the country and keep all measures under review in consultation with local leaders.
“Any changes to local restrictions will be announced in the usual way.”
The restrictions will reportedly apply to Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland – which have all seen rises in cases, according to the latest weekly rates.
The most recent figures show Newcastle to have recorded a sharp increase in its weekly rate, up from 51.2 to 64.1, with 194 new cases in the seven days to September 13.
It comes after local measures in the likes of Greater Manchester and Birmingham have been put in place in a bid to address rising rates of infection.