Coronavirus: Birmingham tightens restrictions after surge in cases

Birmingham has announced a ban on different households mixing, with some exemptions, following a rise in new coronavirus infections and hospital admissions.

Residents in the city, which now has the second-highest infection rate in England, will not be able to mix with any other households, indoors or in private gardens, except for those in a support bubble.

"The ban will take effect from Tuesday 15 September, but residents are advised to avoid household mixing before then as it has been identified as one of the drivers of transmission," said West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

“The following areas will now be escalated to an area of national intervention, with a ban on people socialising with people outside their own household.” 

The bans apply to Sandwell, Solihull and the whole of Birmingham. In the city itself, 78 in 100,000 people are now infected.

It came as Newcastle, Liverpool and Gateshead were all placed on coronavirus watchlists due to rising numbers of cases, with Sunderland and South Tyneside expected to follow.

And Imperial College London scientists with the government-commissioned testing surveillance programme warned coronavirus infections are doubling every seven to eight days in England, and the R rate now stands at 1.7.

Mr Street said that the new measures had been agreed by health secretary Matt Hancock, and that local leaders in the Birmingham area were considering further action.

“This decision has been made in collaboration with local leaders who are considering additional local measures to tackle the increase in the number of cases,” he said.

He added: “So to emphasise, this is about mixing between households, it is not about prevention of schools, workplaces, transport, any of the other options – it is about household mixing.”

Mr Street said the full government announcement on measures, potentially affecting other areas of the country, would be made “later”.

West Midlands Police chief constable Dave Thompson urged the public to follow the new guidance, saying: “We have seen the majority of people working exceptionally hard and we know it is challenging.”

In addition to 892 cases in the last week, Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward said there had been “an increase of hospital admissions with Covid-19 and an increase in cases in care homes”.

“The spread appears to be primarily occurring through social interactions, especially private household gatherings, and workplaces where social distancing is not being observed,” he said. “The city’s position now is that we have become an area of intervention in line with places such as Greater Manchester.”

Maria Crompton, leader of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, added: “The message to families is Covid-19 can kill. It is fatal.

“You will know a family or somebody very close very shortly that will die. I am sorry if I am blunt but people have become complacent.”

Additional reporting by PA