Sign up to FREE email alerts from the Northern Agenda Local lockdown in areas seeing a surge of coronavirus cases 'can not be ruled out', a government minister has said.
It comes as new figures show that Bolton in Greater Manchester now has the second highest weekly infection rate in England after cases of a new variant of concern from India were detected in the area.
Environment secretary George Eustice said the government wanted to "avoid having to get into a tiered system" but would not rule out imposing stricter local measures in Covid hotspots as the national lockdown is eased.
Asked whether regional restrictions would be considered, Mr Eustice told Sky News: "We can't rule anything out - but our plan that's been set out by the prime