Covid-19: meeting others in pubs is illegal in the northeast

Lockdown restrictions in northeast England will be tightened in a bid to halt the rise in Covid-19 cases.

The toughest measures will affect about two million people and were announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

He said that mixing between homes in any indoor environment, such as pubs and restaurants, will be illegal as of Wednesday.

Households in the region had already been warned to avoid mixing, but the new ban will be enforced with fines.

Maximum fine of £ 6,400

Anyone breaking the rules and participating in an illegal gathering could be dispersed by police, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Those over 18 can be fined and could face a charge of £ 200 for their first offense, which would be cut in half if paid within 14 days.

Second offenses would incur a fine of £ 400, which would then be doubled for each subsequent offense up to a maximum of £ 6,400.

Hancock told the House of Commons that cases in the region had “increased dramatically” and that the infection rate was now more than 100 cases per 100,000.

Under regulations that went into effect on September 18, people from Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and County Durham were prohibited from socializing with others outside of their own homes or supporting bubbles in homes and private gardens.

They were also advised not to socialize with people outside their home in any public place, but that was only a guide and was not prohibited by law.

Pubs, restaurants, and other hospitality venues are limited to table service only and have a 22:00 curfew.

Restrictions imposed in some parts of England, including the North East, have already made it illegal to mix with other households in their homes or gardens, punishable by fines.

What is new is to extend the legal prohibition to all meetings with other households in closed public places, such as pubs and restaurants; that’s what’s going to happen starting Wednesday in the seven listed Northeast areas.

So meeting someone for a drink or lunch will be a violation of the law. Workplaces will not be affected.

This is the first time in England since the total lockdown began to ease in May that such extensive legal penalties have been imposed.

The Health Department said the imposition of the measures reflected high and rising infection rates in the region, although it appears to have come as a surprise to local council leaders.

Even as MPs debate whether greater oversight of government-imposed restrictions is required, health officials have made it known that more interventions in Merseyside and some other parts of North West England may be imminent.

Mr. Hancock said: “Unfortunately, the number of cases continues to increase considerably.

“We know that a large number of these infections occur in indoor settings outside the home. So, at the request of the councils with whom we have been working closely, we will introduce legal restrictions on indoor mixing between homes in any setting.”

Mr. Hancock did not say whether visits to other homes for informal child care, such as grandparents caring for children, would still be allowed under the revised rules.

Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes criticized the Health Secretary for the way the announcement was made.

“While we have been in talks with the government about possible additional restrictions, the secretary of state once again stood up and announced changes without telling us that he was about to do so,” he said.

“We want to work constructively with the government, but the way these measures are communicated in the headlines and without details does not contribute anything to public confidence.

“We have demanded clarity on the new restrictions, testing and support for the most affected companies.”

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