Muslim Eid celebrations not being targeted by household gatherings ban, Matt Hancock says

Household gatherings banned in some areas while pubs remain open

A mosque in Blackburn, one of the areas affected by the rules (Getty)

New restrictions placed on gatherings the day before the Muslim festival of Eid are not aimed at curtailing celebrations, the Health Secretary has said.

Matt Hancock denied Muslims were being targeted by the measures, which restrict gatherings of separate households at home in Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire.

Eyebrows were raised by the fact the measures leave pubs and restaurants open in the affected locales while targeting gatherings at home – a key part of festivities.

A government source told broadcaster Sky News: “Eid was discussed in the gold command meeting today, and was a factor towards the decision to implement these restrictions particularly because of household transmission.”

But asked on BBC's Today programme whether the measures were aimed at putting a stop to Eid celebrations, Matt Hancock said: "No, my heart goes out to the Muslim communities in these areas because I know how important the Eid celebrations are.

"I'm very grateful to the local Muslim leaders, the imams in fact, across the country who've been working so hard to find a way to have Covid-secure celebrations.

"For instance celebrating Eid in parks where there's more space available and of course outdoors is safer than indoors."

The Muslim Council of Britain said prayers at mosques were not affected by the measures and could still go ahead.

"This has been confirmed by the Director of Public Health in Manchester and Number 10," a spokesperson for the organisation said.

The government was criticised for announcing the new restrictions at 9pm on Thursday night via Twitter, to come into effect at midnight.

Stakeholders in the region including mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham have said they only learned of the move when they saw it on television.

"I've been inundated with questions that I don't know the answers to them," Manchester central's Labour MP Lucy Powell said.

The areas affected by the new restrictions are Greater Manchester, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale. Restrictions also continue to apply in Leicester.

Harun Khan, the general secretary of the Muslim Concil of Britain, criticised the Government for making the announcement at "shockingly short notice", comparing the timing to that of announcing new restrictions on Christmas Eve.

"With the first day of Eid being today, for Muslims in the affected areas it is like being told they cannot visit family and friends for Christmas on Christmas Eve itself," he said.

"Whilst the safety of communities is of paramount importance, as has remained the case from the very outset of this crisis, so is effective communication delivered in a timely fashion.

"Failure to communicate makes it difficult for communities across the country to continue working together to minimise the spread of the virus, whilst eroding trust in the ability of authorities to steer our course as we tackle the Covid-19 crisis.

"The UK Government has failed to provide clarity on the shockingly short notice and the reasoning behind the new rules that British Muslims deserve - any such clarification would be most welcome."

Saima Afzal, a community inclusion activist and Blackburn councillor, said the Government "left it too late" to impose the restrictions.

She said people in the Lancashire town had already been warned against visiting households when it became clear to the council that infection rates were on the rise.

Speaking to the PA news agency, she said: "Why did the Government leave it so late? Two hours before Eid, giving them little time to reconfigure."

She said she understood why the restrictions had to be introduced, stating the virus affected every community.

"The issue for me is the timing, it's really unfortunate," she said.

"Doesn't Matt Hancock see the potential impact two hours before Eid? I'm not saying he's intended it, but why weren't areas told in advance? They knew where the data was going.

"The lack of clarity for every community, not just Muslims, it's so last minute. It's going to be hard, with any celebration where people are coming together and share food, we will miss our loved ones more."

Additional reporting by the Press Association