Matt Hancock has announced lockdown measures will be tightened in parts of northern England. The Heath Secretary said people from different households will not be allowed to meet inside from midnight on Friday in Greater Manchester, parts of West Yorkshire and East Lancashire.
He said he was taking the action with "a heavy heart" but increases in the rates of coronavirus had left him with no choice.
After meetings with local leaders, Mr Hancock said: "We are constantly vigilant. We have been looking at the data and unfortunately we've seen across parts of northern England an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus." He went on: "We've decided that we need to take action across Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West