These are the areas of Lancashire that will soon be under local coronavirus restrictions

Lancashire is the latest county set to be put under local lockdown restrictions, following the North East of England, as coronavirus cases continue to rise (Photo: Shutterstock)Lancashire is the latest county set to be put under local lockdown restrictions, following the North East of England, as coronavirus cases continue to rise (Photo: Shutterstock)
Lancashire is the latest county set to be put under local lockdown restrictions, following the North East of England, as coronavirus cases continue to rise (Photo: Shutterstock)

Lancashire is the latest county to be put under local lockdown restrictions, as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

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The majority of the county (excluding Blackpool) will be subject to stringent measures from Tuesday 22 September.

Where will restrictions be in place?

The local lockdowns apply to Preston, Lancaster, West Lancashire, Wyre, Fylde, Chorley, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Ribble Valley, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn, and Rossendale. However, they will not apply to Blackpool.

Merseyside, Warrington and Halton will also see the local lockdown restrictions come into place from Tuesday. Most parts of Greater Manchester are already subject to lockdown restrictions.

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On 18 September, prior to the confirmation of further local lockdowns, the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, explained to BBC Breakfast that he would welcome action in Merseyside.

Mr Anderson said, “The measures the Government will be likely to impose on Liverpool today, similar to what they did with the North East yesterday, is unfortunate but welcome because what I am worried about is that, if we don’t tackle the measures now, then we will head towards the winter and Christmas period where we could be in a real difficult position, not just here but across the country.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "We are seeing cases of coronavirus rise fast in Lancashire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, Warrington, Halton and Wolverhampton.

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"Local leaders in these areas have asked for stronger restrictions to be put in place to protect local people, and we are acting decisively to support them.

"I know these restrictions will make everyday life harder for many, but I know that residents will work together and respect the rules so we can reduce rates of transmission."

What is the infection rate for Lancashire?

According to latest figures, two Lancashire boroughs have the second and third highest coronavirus infection rates in England.

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Rossendale was recently found to have an infection rate of 159.5 per 100,000 people, while Hyndburn was at a rate of 156.7 per 100,000.

Blackburn with Darwen has recorded an infection rate of 132.3, Burnley at a rate of 137.2 and Pendle a rate 109.6.

Prior to the confirmation of tougher restrictions in Lancashire, Labour MP for Lancaster & Fleetwood, Cat Smith, said she was expecting tougher restrictions to be put in place across the majority of the county.

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In a post on Twitter, she wrote, "We are expecting a Government announcement later today that the majority of Lancashire will be subject to new measures in order to bring down the rate of Covid-19 infections.

"Over recent weeks, we have seen increases in the number of cases. We are still waiting for the full details of regulations and guidelines but I’ll update to let you know what it means for you as soon as I can.

"We all want to get back to normal, and we know this news will be difficult for people to hear.”

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What will the new rules be?

The new rules mean residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens.

Alongside this, hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only and leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas, will be required to close between 10pm and 5am.

People are also advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work, and they must avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.

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Similar rules have recently come into place for parts of the North East, including Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham, where people are now banned from socialising with others outside their household or bubble, food and drink venues are restricted to table service only, and leisure and entertainment venues must close at 10pm.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, Lancashire Evening Post.