UK-Partial lockdown reimposed across north of England following spike in Covid transmission

Supplementary lockdown constraints are to be forced over large swathes of northern England after a spike of coronavirus cases prompted mainly by people “not abiding to social distancing”, Matt Hancock has announced.

The health secretary stated on Thursday evening that starting from midnight people from various households in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Leicester would not be able to meet each other indoors.

In his announcement, Hancock stated he had ordered the lockdown due to an “increasing rate of transmission in parts of northern England” that was “largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing”.

He said that from midnight “people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors” in Greater Manchester, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and the city of Leicester.

He added: “We take this action with a heavy heart, but we can see increasing rates of Covid across Europe and are determined to do whatever is necessary to keep people safe.”