More restrictions have been announced for people living in the north-east of England, including “legal restrictions on indoor mixing between households in any setting”.
Addressing MPs in the Commons, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the number of coronavirus cases in the region “continues to rise sharply”.
“The incident rate across the area is now over 100 cases per 100,000,” he said.
“We know that a large number of these infections are taking place in indoor settings outside the home.
“And so at the request of the local councils, with whom we have been working closely, we will introduce legal restrictions on indoor mixing between households in any setting.
“We do not take these steps lightly.
“But we must take them and take them now because we know that swift action is more likely to bring the virus under control.
“The quicker we can get this virus under control, the quicker we can restore the freedoms we all enjoy in the north-east and across the country.”