Coronavirus: Government reapplies northern lockdown measures after 24 hours in latest U-turn

Andy Burnham had protested that rising infection rates had made lifting restrictions ‘completely illogical’

Lockdown measures have been reimposed in Covid-hit northern towns after just 24 hours in yet another government U-turn.

Bolton and Trafford will now remain under existing restrictions – after Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, condemned the lifting as “completely illogical”.

Ministers had been accused of bowing to pressure from local Conservative MPs despite rising infection rates, causing “chaos and confusion”, local leaders protested.

Lifting the restrictions in Trafford and Bolton would have allowed residents to once again meet people outside their bubbles, either indoors in homes or in gardens.

Announcing the U-turn, health secretary Matt Hancock said it followed “a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days”.

He said new data showed infections in Bolton were 66.6 per 100,000 people on 30 August – a big leap on 18.9 per 100,000 between 17 and 23 August.

Similarly, in Trafford, infections were 36.8 per 100,000 last Sunday, compared with 17.8 per 100,000 between the earlier dates.

Earlier, an angry Mr Burnham had urged residents to ignore the lifting and to “continue to follow the guidance” by not inviting guests into their homes.

“We find ourselves at a completely unsustainable position this morning – that’s the politest way I can put it,” the mayor said.

“These restrictions were always hard to explain to the public but they are completely illogical now.”

The Conservative-led Bolton council had rowed back on support for the easing, calling on Mr Hancock to allow the measures to remain in place.

The health secretary said: “This decision has been made in collaboration with local leaders after reviewing the latest data.

“We continually monitor outbreaks across the country, and have seen infection rates increase more than three times in Bolton in under a week, and double in Trafford since the last review.

“We have always been clear we will take swift and decisive action where needed to contain outbreaks.”

The lifting of restrictions in Burnley, Hyndburn, Stockport and parts of Calderdale, Kirklees and Bradford will go ahead from midday today.

The restrictions, imposed on 4 million people in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire and large chunks of West Yorkshire, were announced on 30 July.

They stopped different households mixing at home and elsewhere and prevented certain businesses from opening.

The rethink is the latest in an avalanche of U-turns in recent weeks, which have drawn criticism from even loyal Tory MPs.

A spokesperson for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government was presiding over “complete chaos” on coronavirus restrictions.

“The handling of this has been utterly chaotic,” he said. “At a time when the prime minister is saying that we need an ounce of confidence to get the economy growing, when you see chaos like this it gives people no confidence in the government’s approach.

“It’s another sign of their incompetence, which is holding Britain back.”

He added: “Decisions about local lockdowns should be based on the science and on the advice of public health directors, not on whether or not the local area has a Conservative MP, which some areas have rightly been concerned is the approach the government has been taking.”