Health Secretary Matt Hancock was today condemned for announcing a local lockdown in northern England on Twitter with less than three hours’ notice.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said announcing measures late at night on Twitter is ‘a new low for the Government’s communications during this crisis’.
And Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the Government ‘have a habit of saying something and then it being a few hours until the detail emerges’.
People from different households in Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire have been banned from meeting in their homes or gardens.
The new rules announced at 9.16pm last night also ban members of two different households from mixing in pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured on Sky News today) has been condemned for announcing a local lockdown in northern England on Twitter with less than three hours’ notice
However these businesses will remain open for those visiting individually or from the same household. The new rules came into force at midnight overnight.
Today, Mr Burnham said that ministers should have the detail of any changes in lockdown measures at the same time they go in front of the cameras.
He told Sky News: ‘I understand how hard this is for Government ministers having been one myself.
‘I think at the moment they’re adopting (what) feels like a new strategy of the minute they see something they are taking decisive action, and I think that’s probably the right way to do.
‘But here’s the one caveat I would place on it – they have a habit of saying something and then it being a few hours until the detail emerges.
‘And that certainly was the case last night, and later on last night a lot of people I think felt very uncertain about what exactly was being announced.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured in Falmouth on Wednesday) said revealing measures late at night on Twitter is ‘a new low for the Government’s communications during this crisis’
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (on Sky News today) said the Government ‘have a habit of saying something and then it being a few hours until the detail emerges’.
‘So what I would say to them (ministers) is I understand the need to make announcements, I understand the need for decisive action, but when ministers go in front of the cameras, make sure you’ve got the detail ready to go exactly at the same time.’
Mr Burnham also said the Government was right to take action in the north of England after it became clear that the picture on Covid-19 cases had changed.
He told Sky News: ‘On the substance, we do accept that these steps are needed. They’re modest steps.
‘We’re asking people not to have visitors at home, if they go to the pub to stick within their own household – steps that hopefully will prevent much more severe restrictions if we take firm action at this time.
‘And the reason for it is the picture changed in Greater Manchester over the last week. We’re watching the data very, very closely, like the Government is.
‘So when the Government contacted me to say, ‘look we think something is happening here’, I could already see that it was and it wasn’t just in one locality, there was a change across all of our boroughs and that’s why we said to the Government they were right to take quick action.’
Mr Hancock issued this series of four tweets on his Twitter page from 9.16pm last night
And Labour leader Sir Keir tweeted at 11.14pm last night: ‘No one would argue with putting in place local action to reduce the transmission of coronavirus.
‘But announcing measures affecting potentially millions of people late at night on Twitter is a new low for the government’s communications during this crisis.
‘When the government ended the daily press conferences, they said they would hold them for ‘significant announcements’, including local lockdowns. It’s hard to imagine what could be more significant than this.
‘For all the bluster, government has failed to deliver a functioning track and trace system that would spot local flare ups like these.
‘The people of Greater Manchester now need urgent clarity and explanation from the government – and there must be proper support for those businesses and people affected by any lockdown.’
The Government said it will give police forces and councils powers to enforce the new rules – adding that some exemptions will be put in place, including for the vulnerable.
Blackburn with Darwen – the worst-hit authority in the country – will be subject to the new rules, as will Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees as well as all of Greater Manchester
Mr Hancock said ‘households gathering and not abiding by the social-distancing rules’ was a reason for the stricter rules, announced late yesterday evening, and that the move was in order to ‘keep the country safe’.
He 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.’
The move comes as celebrations take place for the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha, which started yesterday evening and continues over the weekend, and after the Government reimposed quarantine measures for those arriving in the UK from Spain and Luxembourg.
The household mixing restrictions will also apply in Leicester, which has seen the first so-called local lockdown since June, but other measures in the city will be eased. From Monday restaurants, cafes, bars and hairdressers can reopen – but leisure centres, gyms and pools will remain closed.
Tomorrow, Luton will be brought in line with the rest of the country after ‘significant progress’, the Government said.
Mr Hancock added: ‘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.’