Millions are hit by
NEARLY two million Britons will today be hit with new restrictions after a worrying coronavirus spike.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday banned residents in northeast England from socialising with people outside their household.
Pubs, clubs and restaurants have been told they must shut early and provide table service only.
Around 9.2 million people across the UK are now in areas of intervention.
Mr Hancock urged the public to “come together once again” in the battle to keep the killer disease under control.
And Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country needed tough love if it hopes to save Christmas.
Announcing the temporary restrictions, Mr Hancock told MPs: “The battle against coronavirus is not over.
“And while we strain every sinew to spring free of its clutches, with winter on the horizon we must prepare, bolster our defences and come together once again.”
Around two million people across Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham are covered by the tougher restrictions.
Sunderland has a rate of 103 cases for every 100,000 people, while the figures in South Tyneside, Gateshead and Newcastle, are all above 70.
Residents have been forbidden from socialising at home or in their gardens with anyone from outside their household.
They should do the same if they go out.
Sports fans have been told to stay from events.
Cases in England spiked by 75 per cent in the week to September 9, with 18,371 new positive test results.
Yesterday, there were 3,385 new cases reported and 21 deaths due to coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson insisted: “The only way to make sure the country is able to enjoy Christmas is to be tough now.
“So if we can grip it now, stop the surge, arrest the spike, stop the second hump of the dromedary, flatten the second hump.” Areas of intervenalso away
tion around the UK include parts of Greater Manchester, Leicester and Scotland.
Rising numbers of infections in London and Leeds have prompted warnings the cities may soon join the North East.
And in North Yorkshire “full emergency mode” has been declared following a surge in cases.
Across England, 3,991 new cases were recorded on Wednesday and the number of patients being put on ventilators went above 100 for first time since July.
Mr Hancock said that extra funding for the NHS would help it to operate safely.
He added: “We’ve allocated a further £ 2.7billion to the NHS to support it during the winter months.”
Investment will help expand capacity in urgent and emergency care, he said.
But Dr Layla McCay, director at the NHS Confederation, said the latest data suggested the virus is not being controlled. “It appears we are now in a position where the spread of the the virus is no longer being adequately controlled, with new cases nearly tripling compared with the end of August,” she said.
“This is especially alarming at a time when winter is almost upon us, and access to testing has become a major problem, including for frontline staff.”
Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trust leaders, said the 75 per cent jump in positive cases recorded in the week to September 9 left the organisation “deeply concerned”.
She added: “Trust leaders are
increasingly concerned with the current testing shortages impacting on NHS service recovery and winter preparations due to staff and their family members being unable to access a test resulting in increasing NHS staff absences.”
Health Minister Edward Argar played down claims the Government is considering a two- week national lockdown to halt the rise in cases.
He said: “The Prime Minister… doesn’t want to see another national lockdown. He wants to see people abiding by the regulations and making the local lockdowns work.”