Swathes of the North East of England are expected to be brought under local lockdown measures from Friday to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to local media reports – impacting hundreds of thousands.
The Northern Echo reports measures could include a ban on socialising between different households and a 10pm curfew on pubs, adding that Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland are all expected to be impacted.
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said “additional, temporary” measures are being planned to prevent another full lockdown – and that health secretary Matt Hancock is expected to make an announcement on the matter on Thursday morning.
He tweeted: “Some additional, temporary restrictions are being planned to prevent another full lockdown.”
One Twitter user asked when the announcement would be made, adding that the “uncertainty creates lots of anxiety for people”.
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15 September 2020
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14 September 2020
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13 September 2020
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12 September 2020
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11 September 2020
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10 September 2020
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9 September 2020
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8 September 2020
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7 September 2020
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6 September 2020
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5 September 2020
Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate in Dover against immigration and the journeys made by refugees crossing the Channel to Kent
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4 September 2020
Activists take part in a demonstration against the HS2 hi-speed rail line outside the Department of Transport
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3 September 2020
Peter Baker, who plays Trigger in the musical version of Only Fools and Horses, sweeps the stage of the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, after observing a 15 minute silence to show solidarity with those in the theatre industry that have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic
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2 September 2020
Kadie Lane, right, 11, and Brooke Howourth, 11, hug on their walk to Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, for their first day of term, as schools in England reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown
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1 September 2020
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31 August
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30 August
Black Lives Matter protesters march through Notting Hill in London in the first Million People March
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29 August
A protester reacts as she demonstrates against the lockdown and use of face masks, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, outside Downing Street in London
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28 August
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27 August
Father and son team Chris and Sam Milford from historic building conservation specialists WallWalkers begin restoration work on the spire of Norwich Cathedral, which stands at over 312ft high. The first known spire was completed in 1297
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26 August
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25 August
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24 August
Restored World War Two landing craft LCT 7074 is transported from from the Naval Base in Portsmouth to its final resting place at the D-Day Story at Southsea
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23 August
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22 August
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21 August
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20 August
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19 August
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18 August
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17 August
A level students celebrate outside the Department for Education in London after it was confirmed that candidates in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm. The government U-turn comes just days after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson vowed there would be “no U-turn, no change.
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16 August
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15 August
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14 August
People including students hold placards on Whitehall outside Downing Street as they protest against the downgrading of A-level results. The government faced criticism after education officials downgraded more than a third of pupils’ final grades in a system devised after the coronavirus pandemic led to cancelled exams yes
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13 August
Benita Stipp (centre) and Mimi Ferguson (left) react as students at Norwich School receive their A-Level results
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12 August 2020
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11 August 2020
A woman hydrates in the sun after open water swimming at the West Reservoir Centre in north London
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10 August 2020
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9 August 2020
People cycle through Cambridge as the heatwave continues in Britain
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8 August 2020
Healthcare workers take part in a protest in London over pay conditions in the NHS
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7 August 2020
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6 August 2020
Alison Murphy poses for a picture by husband Peter as she walks through a field of sunflowers in Altrincham, Cheshire
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5 August 2020
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4 August 2020
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3 August 2020
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2 August 2020
Lewis Hamilton drives with a puncture towards the finish line to win the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone
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1 August 2020
Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the FA Cup, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease
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31 July 2020
People enjoy the sunny weather at a Bournemouth Beach
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30 July 2020
An artist puts the finishing touches to a wax figure of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in the entrance line at Madame Tussaud’s in London, as the attraction prepares to reopen to the public following the easing of lockdown restrictions in England
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29 July 2020
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28 July 2020
Stuart Broad celebrates after taking the wicket of West Indies batsman Kraigg Brathwaite. It was a milestone wicket in his career, reaching his 500th Test Wicket for England. They went on to beat the West Indies in Manchester and therefore win the series 2-1
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He replied: “We are waiting confirmation from Government on the final version of the regulations; I am expecting an announcement by the Health Secretary at 11am tomorrow.”
The most recent figures show Newcastle to have recorded a sharp increase in its weekly rate, up from 51.2 to 64.1, with 194 new cases in the seven days to September 13.
It comes after local measures in the likes of Greater Manchester and Birmingham have been put in place in a bid to address rising rates of infection.
He told ITV’s Peston show: “The number of cases has been rising rapidly in many parts of the country, but in particular in the North East, and so a decision has been made to impose further restrictions there.
“And a full announcement will be made tomorrow and so people living in that part of the country should watch out for that. And the measures will come into play at midnight on Thursday evening.
“So, over the course of the day a full briefing will be made available to everybody including the councils and business community.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We constantly monitor infection rates across the country and keep all measures under review in consultation with local leaders.
“Any changes to local restrictions will be announced in the usual way.”
Additional reporting by agencies