People from different households across the Bradford district are being banned from meeting indoors and in private gardens as part of new lockdown measures.
The Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement late on Thursday night, ahead of a weekend that is expected to see a heatwave as well as families celebrating Eid.
Bradford Council's Chief Executive Kersten England confirmed on Twitter that the new measures cover the whole of the council area, including Keighley, Silsden, Addingham and Ilkley. The local MP for Keighley & Ilkley Robbie Moore confirmed the news too.
As well as Bradford, the restrictions apply to Calderdale, Kirklees, East Lancashire and the whole of Greater Manchester.
Skipton is not included in the new restrictions, nor are villages in the Aire Valley which fall under Craven District Council such as Bradley, Cononley, Kildwick, Farnhill, Sutton and Cross Hills. Though these places have BD postcodes, they are not part of the Bradford Council area.
Towns such as Barnoldswick and Colne are affected as they fall within Pendle.
The new restrictions apply to all indoor venues, with separate households being told to not meet in places such as pubs and restaurants.
Robbie Moore MP also confirmed on Facebook that 'outdoor spaces which belong to that household such as your private garden will be classed as part of that household, so multiple households will not be able to meet in that outdoor space.'
The government said it would give police forces and councils powers to enforce the new rules - adding some exemptions would be put in place, including for the vulnerable.
Most businesses can continue to open. You can read the detailed government guidelines here to find out what you can and can’t do.
Support bubbles may meet indoors, the order confirms: “Where people from single adult households (people who live alone or single parents with dependent children aged under 18) have formed a support bubble with another household, they can continue to visit each other, stay overnight, and visit other public places as if they were one household.”
You should try not to share a vehicle with those outside your household or social bubble.
Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies can still go ahead, and you can visit a place of worship, but you must socially distance from people outside of your household.
People can still holiday in the lockdown area, or visit shops, leisure facilities, or cafes, but must avoid socialising with people indoors when doing so.
There has been no indication how long these new rules will be in place.
Matt Hancock said: "We take this action with a heavy heart but unfortunately it's necessary because we've seen that households meeting up and a lack of social distancing is one of the causes of this rising rate of coronavirus and we'll do whatever is necessary to keep the country safe. We're constantly vigilant and we've been looking at the data, and unfortunately we've seen across parts of northern England an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus.
"So, today, I held a meeting of the Government's Gold Committee and working with local leaders, including, for instance, Andy Burnham the mayor of Greater Manchester, we've decided that we need to take action across Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire. So, from midnight tonight (Friday) we are banning households meeting up indoors."
Tonight Matt Hancock has announced new restrictions on families meeting in areas of the North of England, including Bradford. We ask people to follow these new guidelines. We’ll be able to respond in more detail once we have clarity from the govt of what it means for our district https://t.co/f2LfrdnHfr
— Bradford Council (@bradfordmdc) July 30, 2020
Please be aware that all the information we have at present indicates that these new restrictions apply to the Bradford Metropolitan Council area, not to the Craven area. https://t.co/hYtC3fadRx
— Craven Council (@CravenCouncil) July 30, 2020
But the Muslim Council of Britain said that mosques would not be included in the new restrictions, meaning indoor prayers during Eid will still be permitted.
Mosques - subject to the known restrictions including social distancing - are not affected by the lockdown measures announced. This has been confirmed by the Director of Public Health in Manchester and Number 10.
— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) July 30, 2020
Eid prayers are therefore still permitted. https://t.co/XOAVWCWcEI
For clarity, this includes all households situated within the Keighley and Ilkley constituency.
— Robbie Moore MP (@_RobbieMoore) July 30, 2020
The restrictions relate to household interaction only and are as in this article.
This story is developing and I will do all I can to keep you up to date with the situation. https://t.co/3O0ttJPrbZ
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