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9:22 PM 25th September 2020
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New Restrictions For Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool And Leeds As Coronavirus Cases Increase

 
New restrictions will be brought in for Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds to help curb infection rates as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Update: local authority watchlist areas 25 September

New restrictions on household mixing brought in for Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds
London added as an area of concern as hospital admissions rise
Teesside added as an area of enhanced support

In close discussions with local leaders, the Health and Social Care Secretary, NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), Public Health England (PHE) and the Chief Medical Officer for England have agreed to introduce local measures in parts of the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds have been escalated to areas of intervention and London has been added as an area of concern. Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Redcar & Cleveland (Teesside) have been escalated to areas of enhanced support.

From midnight tomorrow (Saturday 26 September), residents in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds will no longer be allowed to mix with people outside their household or bubble in private homes, including gardens. This will be enforceable by law.

Residents in these areas are advised not to meet people outside their household or bubble in any setting, whether a bar, shop or leisure facility – indoors or outdoors.

As announced this week, childcare bubbles will be able to form in areas of intervention to allow families to share caring responsibilities with another household, as long as they are consistent. This includes formal and informal childcare arrangements.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

"We continue to see an acceleration of COVID-19 cases across the country, especially in the North West and the North East. Working alongside our scientific and public health experts and local leaders, we are prepared to take swift and decisive action to reduce transmission of the virus and protect communities.

"I recognise the burden and impact these additional measures have on our daily lives but we must act collectively and quickly to bring down infections.

"We all have a part to play and I urge everyone to isolate and get a test if you have symptoms, follow the advice of NHS Test and Trace, and always remember ‘hands, face, space’."

Cases are rising in parts of the North East, and discussions are ongoing with local leaders about potential further measures.

The changes come as the weekly surveillance report is published by Public Health England (PHE), with a number of updates to this week’s local authority watchlist, published on GOV.UK.

PHE, the JBC and NHS Test and Trace constantly monitor the levels of infection and other data on prevalence of the virus across the country. As has always been the case, measures are kept under constant review to reduce the spread of the virus and save lives.

Changes to this week’s watchlist for the North:

North West

Wigan and Stockport to be escalated as areas of intervention and will follow the restrictions currently in place in Greater Manchester
The additional restrictions in Bolton remain in place
Blackpool to be added to as an area of intervention in line with the rest of Lancashire
Merseyside and parts of Cheshire remain subject to additional measures and restrictions

West Yorkshire

Leeds escalated to an area of intervention and will follow the restrictions currently in place in West Yorkshire (Calderdale, Kirklees and Bradford)

North East

South Tyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Sunderland, North Tyneside, Northumberland and County Durham remain as areas of intervention. Cases are rising, and discussions are ongoing with local leaders
Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Redcar and Cleveland escalated to areas of enhanced support