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People everywhere in Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale will soon not be able to mingle with people outside their own home or support the bubble, as the government added West Yorkshire to its list of intervention areas.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the measures, which take effect Tuesday, were necessary to stem the rapid increase in cases in the region.
However, Jewish communities marking Rosh Hashanah on Friday will be exempt from the rules, and synagogues will be allowed to remain open in accordance with Covid restrictions.
Measures have also been introduced for Lancashire, Merseyside, Warrington, Halton and Wolverhampton, while Selby and Scarborough have been added to the government watch list.
Leeds has managed to escape restrictions despite speculation in recent days that it would also be a target for intervention.
Describing the new rules, Hancock said: “I know that these restrictions will make daily life more difficult for many, but I know that residents will work together and abide by the rules so that we can lower transmission rates.”
“I urge the local population to isolate themselves and get tested if you have symptoms, follow the advice of the NHS Test and Trace and always remember ‘hands, face, space’.
“By sticking to these steps, we will get through it together.”
The tighter restrictions come after a sharp increase in cases in Kirklees, where the latest data shows 311 new cases had been reported in the seven days to September 14, giving it a case rate of 70.7 per every 100,000 people.
That’s more than 210 new cases reported during the previous week, when the municipality had an infection rate of 47.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.
And while Bradford has seen its infection rate drop, from 92.1 cases per 100,000 residents in the seven days to Sept. 7 to 88.4 in the seven days to Sept. 14, every borough in the city now will be subject to restrictions.
The changes introduced today are in addition to national “Rule of Six” guidelines introduced Monday that prohibit gatherings of more than six people, either indoors or outdoors.
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