September 9, 2020 5.08 pm This story is over 42 months old

New COVID restrictions “simplify rules” as 18 new cases in Greater Lincolnshire

No coronavirus deaths locally Wednesday
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new measures in a press briefing on Wednesday.

New restrictions to tackle the coronavirus pandemic have been laid out in a government briefing.

It comes as the number of confirmed cases in Greater Lincolnshire’s today increased by 18.

In the press briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the latest moves will “simplify and strengthen the rules”.

They include a new single measure to replace the existing bans on more than 30 meeting and the rule of only two households.

Instead, the change in effect from Monday is the “rule of six”.

Other measures will include:

  • Pubs required legally to record people’s details and keep records for 21 days. Fines can be issued if they don’t.
  • Covid secure marshalls being introduced in town and city centres to ensure social distancing
  • New measures at the border to ensure quarantine rules are adhered to
  • Plans to increase testing capacity to 500,000 a day by end of October, including sourcing tests which could give results in 20 minutes and identifying people who are negative

The PM confirmed there would be exemptions, including households larger than six or places of worship, gyms and restaurants.

The rule does not apply to schools, universities, workplaces or COVID-19 secure weddings, funerals and organised team sports.

Households and support bubbles bigger than six people are unaffected as well.

“These measures are not another national lockdown,” said Mr Johnson, who also apologised for the moves.

“The whole point of them is to avoid a second national lockdown.”

He said he wished he did not have to take the steps but added: “As your prime minister I must do what is necessary.”

Government figures today confirmed 12 new cases in Lincolnshire, five in North East Lincolnshire and one in North Lincolnshire.

There were no further deaths confirmed in NHS figures or in the government’s own tally, which also includes deaths outside of hospitals or outside the county.

The latest measures come after a national spikem which today saw 2,659 new cases confirmed, with the cumulative total at 355,219.

There were eight deaths nationally, taking the total to 41,594.

England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty told the briefing cases had risen “really quite sharply” among some age groups including 17-18-year-olds and 19-21-year-olds.

Latest coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire

3,834 cases (up 18)

  • 2,793 in Lincolnshire (up 12)
  • 787 in North Lincolnshire (up five)
  • 254 in North East Lincolnshire (up one)

390 deaths (no change)

  • 267 from Lincolnshire (no change)
  • 89 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
  • 34 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 268 hospital deaths (no change)

  • 144 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
  • 4 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
  • 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
  • 119 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

352,520 UK cases, 41,584 deaths