Coronavirus UK: New lockdown for parts of Northern England

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More than 4.5million Britons were put back into lockdown with just over two hours’ notice last night after a spike in cases in the North of England as five nights of Eid celebrations were about to begin.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement of new restrictions from midnight last night in a series of tweets at 9.15pm and blamed residents persistently ignoring social distancing for the diktat.

From last night households in the entirety of Greater Manchester as well as Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees have been banned from mixing any other households indoors or in a garden. 

But people can still visit pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops and places of worship as long as it is with people you live with and you avoid interaction with others outside your bubble. The measures will be reviewed in a week’s time, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has said.

There is anger today as the strict restrictions were announced on social media just 165 minutes before the lockdown began, with many people living in the zone likely to be unaware the new lockdown had started at all when they woke up this morning. It will also disrupt Eid al-Adha celebrations in the large Muslim population in the north-west and West Yorkshire that run from last night until Monday night.

There is also confusion because some of the areas, such as Rossendale, have only seen three three confirmed coronavirus cases on any day since start of July. In Trafford, Greater Manchester, there have been around ten cases per day in a borough with 236,370 residents, but despite a rise in cases infections are ‘very low’, officials said this week. 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today insisted the rules are ‘crystal clear’ and admitted the Government had planned more ‘targeted, specific local action’ in Oldham and Blackburn but could see that coronavirus was ‘spreading more widely than that’ so ‘we had to take the action that we did’.

He said: ‘The reason for that is we’ve seen these increases across the board in Greater Manchester as well as the other areas that are affected’.  

The new lockdown means that in nine areas of the north:

• It is now illegal for people who do not live together to meet in any private home or garden;
• But people can still go to pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions with their household or support bubble;
• Going to work is permissible and weddings and civil partnership ceremonies in these areas can still go ahead. No more than 30 people should attend and it must be at a Covid-safe venue;
• Leisure centres, gyms and pools will remain closed; 

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

Boris Johnson yesterday 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. 

Shadow business minister Lucy Powell described the way in which the Government had announced the new coronavirus restrictions on parts of northern England as a ‘disaster’.

Speaking on Times Radio, the MP for Manchester Central said: ‘I mean announcing them two hours before they come into effect is a bit of a bolt out of the blue.

‘With no one around to be able to answer some of the basic questions, I really think is not the way to build confidence and to take people with you and maximise compliance with these steps.’

She said she was ‘none of the wiser’ about the data that has led to widespread restrictions on parts of northern England, including in her own constituency. 

‘I follow the data extremely closely as a Member of Parliament and I’m still none the wiser about what the data is that has generated this action so swiftly across such a broad area’, she said.

‘If we had a much better track and trace system in place we’d be able to see much more clearly some of the localised nature or where these transmissions are actually occurring, and take action more strongly in a more localised fashion rather than across such a broad area.

‘We are still getting less than 50% of tests back within 24 hours and frankly that is just not good enough.’

‘There’s a huge number of questions here and it’s not clear to me what the data is that is sowing such significant change over the last few days that such widespread measures are necessary, and I think it’s something that I should know’.

Announcing the new regional lockdown last night, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘The action that we’ve taken across parts of northern England where we can see that increase in the number of cases is all about keeping people safe. 

‘What we’ve seen is one of the causes of this increase is households gathering together and ignoring the social distancing rules.

‘So we’re having to bring in firm action and say two households cannot meet indoors, because that way we can help to stop the spread of the virus. We can see a second peak coming in parts of Europe, that’s why we’ve taken some of the action we’ve had to.’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised ministers for making the announcement at just before 10pm and on social media. He said: ‘Announcing measures affecting potentially millions of people late at night on Twitter is a new low for the Government’s communications during this crisis.’

There was further concern that the restrictions – which affect areas with large Muslim populations – were announced hours before the celebration of Eid al-Adha began. Many compared it to cancelling Christmas at 10pm on Christmas Eve.

The new lockdown, which came into force at midnight, affects all of Greater Manchester plus the Lancashire boroughs of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Rossendale, Pendle and Hyndburn, and the West Yorkshire areas Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.

Figures yesterday 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 cases per 100,000 people, with Blackburn with Darwen at 922 per 100,000. The overall rate for England is 465 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. 

Under the regional lockdown, meeting up with another household indoors at home will be banned, with police given powers to enforce it. 

Pubs and restaurants will stay open but customers will be advised not to visit them with people they do not live with. However, it is not thought that police will have enforcement powers if they refuse.

The current rules for England in general state two households can meet indoors – including in a pub or restaurant – but should not touch each other.

Mr Hancock said the regional measures had been imposed following a meeting of the Local Action Gold Committee which comprises Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, senior officials from the Department of Health and Public Health England and some ministers and senior civil servants.

The lockdown covers a much greater area than Leicester’s, which was imposed on June 29 and will be eased from Monday.

Pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants will reopen in the locked-down city from August 3, Labour MP Liz Kendall announced last night.

People will also be permitted to go on holiday with their own household, but leisure centres, gyms and pools will remain closed. 

Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, urged locals to adhere to the new rules.

He 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.’

But the timing and manner of Mr Hancock’s announcement drew criticism from Labour.

Sir Keir Starmer noted how when Downing Street concluded its daily briefings regarding the virus in June, ministers promised to still hold conferences for ‘significant announcements.’

‘It’s hard to imagine what could be more significant than this,’ he said.

Taking to Twitter, Sir Keir added: ‘No one would argue with putting in place local action to reduce the transmission of coronavirus.

‘But announcing measures affecting potentially millions of people late at night on Twitter is a new low for the government’s communications during this crisis.

‘For all the bluster, government has failed to deliver a functioning track and trace system that would spot local flare ups like these.

‘The people of Greater Manchester now need urgent clarity and explanation from the government – and there must be proper support for those businesses and people affected by any lockdown.’

Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy added: ‘The Government’s shambolic announcement of local lockdown measures on Twitter tonight is the result of its total failure to deliver the functioning track and trace system it promised the country.

‘Boris Johnson is asleep at the wheel.’

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the decision was 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.’

Mr Johnson had yesterday 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’. 

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 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 yesterday warned 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 today 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 ex-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 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.

Yesterday, Mr Johnson insisted Britain has had ‘massive success’ in bringing down mortality rates but warned: ‘I have to tell you 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.

Mr Smith, whose Crawley constituency includes Gatwick Airport, last night said: ‘Testing should play a much larger role in giving people confidence to travel.’

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