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Government ministers are reportedly close to closing pubs, bars and restaurants on Merseyside and across the north of England.
Ministers are seriously concerned about rising COVID-19 infections in the north of the country, with Liverpool and Knowsley among the worst hit.
It is now widely reported that the government is likely to close pubs, bars and restaurants in the affected areas for a period of time.
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ITV’s Robert Peston said he expects this to be announced on Monday, if not earlier.
Much of the North West (including the entire Liverpool city region), North East and Yorkshire are already under strict local lockdown restrictions, prohibiting people from socializing with other households.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will chair a gold command meeting with regional officials on Wednesday to discuss possible new measures.
ITV has said that an obstacle in announcing the plan is that leaders in places like Liverpool and Manchester are demanding an immediate financial package of support for the affected hotel companies before agreeing to any additional measures.
Leaders in the Liverpool city region have repeatedly called for additional support for hospitality companies and have worked together to provide a £ 40 million fund themselves.
This week Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson and the leaders of Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle wrote to Hancock to say that they do not believe the current restrictions are working.
All four cities want more involvement of local governments in the restriction process and for local authorities to have much more power to manage the situation on the ground.
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Ministers are still expected to soon announce a so-called “semaphore” system of local closures in a bid to simplify measures across the country.
With Liverpool and Knowsley now the most affected local authority areas in the country by COVID-19 cases, our region is likely to be placed in the red category under the new system.
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