Professor Chris Whitty suggests Britons will have to sacrifice meeting friends and family

What lockdown easing measures have been postponed today?  Wedding receptions of more than 30 people will no longer be allowed to take place tomorrow as had been planned. They are delayed until at least August 14 Test sporting events will be put on ice for the next two weeks until August 15.  Close contact beauty services such … Read more

Seven days that led to lockdown of 4.5m people in north of England

Reimposing lockdown measures on 4.5 million people in the north of England is the culmination of a week of warnings from the Government’s top health experts about the risk of rising infection.  Matt Hancock announced last night that people from different households in Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire are now banned from … Read more

Boris Johnson reveals new slogan ‘hands, face, space, get a test’

Boris Johnson today revealed a new coronavirus-killing catchphrase ‘hands, face, space and get a test’ as he pared back lockdown – but some questioned whether he had ‘made it up on the spot’ and compared it to the children’s song ‘heads, shoulders, knees and toes’. The Prime Minister’s other mantras including ‘stay home, save lives’ … Read more

Muslim leaders condemn last-minute lockdown announcement on eve of Eid as an ‘abuse of power’

Community leaders today branded the decision to lockdown the north-west of England at the start of Eid ‘an appalling abuse of power’ and accused Boris Johnson’s Government of having ‘no regard for British Muslims’. Mohammed Shafiq from the Ramadhan Foundation said the decision to ban 4.5million people mixing for at least a week will ruin … Read more

Matt Hancock ties himself in knots about whether people in Manchester can leave the area

Matt Hancock got in a muddle on live radio today about whether 4.5million people in the newly locked-down north-west can visit friends outside the area saying: ‘I’ll have to come back to you’.   The Health Secretary was speaking to BBC Radio Manchester and appeared so flustered by the question host Becky Want then told him: … Read more

Muslim leaders condemn last-minute lockdown announcement

Community leaders today branded the decision to lockdown the north-west of England at the start of Eid ‘an appalling abuse of power’ and accused Boris Johnson’s Government of having ‘no regard for British Muslims’. Mohammed Shafiq from the Ramadhan Foundation said the decision to ban 4.5million people mixing for at least a week will ruin … Read more

Fury at Matt Hancock for announcing lockdown with three hours’ notice

Matt Hancock has been condemned for the ‘disastrous’ timing of his announcement late last night that lockdown is being partially reimposed on parts of the north of England.  The Health Secretary tweeted the news at 9.16pm, less than three hours before the new rules came into force, sparking a social media firestorm.  Meanwhile, the full … Read more

Fury at Matt Hancock for announcing lockdown with three hours’ notice

Matt Hancock has been condemned for the ‘disastrous’ timing of his announcement late last night that lockdown is being partially reimposed on parts of the north of England.  The Health Secretary tweeted the news at 9.16pm, less than three hours before the new rules came into force, sparking a social media firestorm.  Meanwhile, the full … Read more

Your questions answered as Northern England goes into new lockdown

The Government has announced new restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus across Greater Manchester and parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire. But what restrictions have been imposed, what areas are affected and what does it mean for people living there? These questions and others are answered here: Blackburn with Darwen – the worst-hit … Read more

Your questions answered as Northern England goes into new lockdown

The Government has announced new restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus across Greater Manchester and parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire. But what restrictions have been imposed, what areas are affected and what does it mean for people living there? These questions and others are answered here: Blackburn with Darwen – the worst-hit … Read more