Tougher restrictions banning people from mixing with other households in any setting will be introduced in large parts of north-east England due to a continued sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
Making the announcement in the House of Commons, Mr Hancock said: “Unfortunately the number of cases continues to rise sharply.
“The incidence rate across the area is now over 100 cases per 100,000. 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.”
He said these steps are not taken “lightly” but they must happen now as swift action is more likely to bring the virus under control.
The Government said that, as of 9am on Monday, there had been a further 4,044 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, taking the overall number to 439,013.
Source: Wales Online
