All hospitality has been restricted to takeaway services only “starting immediately”, health secretary Matt Hancock told MPs in the House of Commons earlier today (8 September).
It comes as the town is now up to 120 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people - the worst affected area in the country.
Hancock said contact tracing had highlighted the virus was being spread by people in their 20s and 30s socialising.
Pubs highlighted
“Through our contact tracing system we have identified a number of pubs at which the virus has spread significantly,” he said.
All businesses will be required to close from 10pm-5am, in a “late night restriction of operating hours”.
What’s more, existing guidance stating people do not socialise with other households will be “urgently” put into law.
The health secretary said: “I want us to learn the lesson from Spain, America and France and not have to learn the lesson all over again ourselves through more hospitalisations and deaths.”
Several pubs in the town had already taken the decision to close to carry out deep cleans after confirmed cases of the virus were linked to their venues, The Morning Advertiser reported earlier this week.
More to follow
