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Coronavirus: What are the new lockdown rules for Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn? Coronavirus: What are the new local lockdown rules?
(8 days later)
Parts of England and Scotland are now subject to ''local lockdowns'' to help stop the spread of Covid-19.Parts of England and Scotland are now subject to ''local lockdowns'' to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Extra restrictions are being imposed in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn, which were already under a local lockdown, from midnight on Saturday. Separate households will now be banned from meeting up outdoors as well as indoors. What does local lockdown mean?
However, tighter rules are being dropped in Wigan, Darwen and Rossendale. They have all under restrictions along with other parts of Lancashire, including Preston, parts of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. Restrictions in force during the national lockdown, such as people not being allowed to meet anyone outside their own household, are being reintroduced in areas with rising coronavirus infection rates.
What measures are being taken? These are regularly reviewed and when the number of infections falls, the restrictions start to be eased again.
Local lockdown rules vary from place to place. You can check the areas in England under increased restrictions on the government website.
You can check the exact areas which are under increased restrictions on the government website. When is one imposed?
In Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire, people can still visit pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues, but only with members of their household. A decision to reimpose restrictions is taken under the government's "contain framework", a guide for local decision-makers.
They can also meet up to six people from different households in an outdoor public place, except now in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn. People in those areas are being told not to meet indoors or now outdoors with people from outside their household from Saturday 22 August. There is no set number of infections in an area that triggers a local lockdown.
Businesses such as ice rinks and casinos must remain closed in the areas with local lockdowns. A figure higher than 40 cases per 100,000 would raise the alarm.
In some parts of Blackburn with Darwen, indoor gyms, swimming pools and other sports facilities will be able to reopen. But whether any action is taken depends on the circumstances.
In Aberdeen, a ''significant outbreak'' of 54 coronavirus cases prompted lockdown measures to be reintroduced for much of August but these have now been lifted. For example, cases in Northampton jumped to 125.1 per 100,000 one week in the middle of August.
Shielding advice is constantly being reassessed across the UK. But the rise was almost entirely down to an outbreak at a sandwich-making factory, so no local lockdown was introduced.
What has Leicester's local lockdown involved? The latest figures for Stockport, where restrictions have just been eased, show 15.1 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 20 August.
The UK's first local lockdown was in Leicester, after infections rose there at the beginning of July. By comparison, in Scotland, people travelling from Greece, where the latest figures show 13.7 cases per 100,000 people, have to self-isolate for 14 days.
Non-essential shops were told to close, while bars and restaurants couldn't reopen with the rest of England. What areas are in lockdown?
The latest list of premises that can open as of 20 August includes nail bars and beauty salons, but leisure centres, gyms and pools remain closed. As of 2 September, areas under local lockdown are parts of north-west England, West Yorkshire, Leicester and Glasgow.
The borough of Oadby and Wigston on the city's outskirts has also come out of local lockdown, although shielding still applies there. Public Health England has also produced a watchlist of areas, based on new coronavirus infection rates and other local intelligence.
Why have the latest restrictions happened?
Local clusters or outbreaks are being targeted to stop the spread as quickly as possible and prevent a national lockdown.
A cluster is a group of cases in one place like a hospital, factory or school. When clusters are linked, this is called an outbreak.
Data showing the number of cases in a particular place is used to help decide what action should be taken.
Cases are also identified through testing, with mobile units and door-to-door testing often taken to at-risk places.
Public Health England has also produced a watchlist of areas, based on new coronavirus infection rates, and other local intelligence.
Why are there local lockdowns?Why are there local lockdowns?
Local authorities and central government have been given new powers to stop specific outbreaks of Covid-19.Local authorities and central government have been given new powers to stop specific outbreaks of Covid-19.
These actions could range from targeting a hospital or factory, to locking down a whole city.These actions could range from targeting a hospital or factory, to locking down a whole city.
Local authorities were given powers to:Local authorities were given powers to:
Ministers can:Ministers can:
Can police enforce a lockdown?Can police enforce a lockdown?
Police have powers to enforce a local lockdown. For example, if they believe that somebody is staying away overnight, they can tell them to return home.Police have powers to enforce a local lockdown. For example, if they believe that somebody is staying away overnight, they can tell them to return home.
They can also fine people for breaking the rules, and may issue a "prohibition notice" directing somebody not to do something.They can also fine people for breaking the rules, and may issue a "prohibition notice" directing somebody not to do something.
But if a resident from a locked-down area wanted to go to a bar in another part of the city, for example, there is nothing legally to stop them.But if a resident from a locked-down area wanted to go to a bar in another part of the city, for example, there is nothing legally to stop them.
Instead, the government hopes people's sense of civic responsibility will see them follow guidance to stay at home.Instead, the government hopes people's sense of civic responsibility will see them follow guidance to stay at home.
What has been said about the rest of the UK?What has been said about the rest of the UK?
A local lockdown was considered in Anglesey after an outbreak in June, Public Health Wales says, but it didn't happen.A local lockdown was considered in Anglesey after an outbreak in June, Public Health Wales says, but it didn't happen.
In Northern Ireland, the government says that any potential clusters or outbreaks will be handled using "appropriate infection control" in line with its guidelines for handling any disease outbreak.In Northern Ireland, the government says that any potential clusters or outbreaks will be handled using "appropriate infection control" in line with its guidelines for handling any disease outbreak.