A major announcement from Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected this morning. The new restrictions will include a curfew of 10pm for pubs and restaurants. People will also be unable to socialise with anyone outside their household.
The areas affected include Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead, County Durham, Sunderland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside.
The latest figures show Newcastle recorded 194 new cases last week.
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes explained the new rules are to prevent another full lockdown.
He said: “Unless we get on with this now, we are facing a bigger problem down the line which could end up in a full lockdown.
“It is better to try to introduce measures which will prevent that, even though that may mean some additional restrictions over the next few weeks.
“We are working with the government on a plan for what those could mean and how we can get those measures in place over the next few weeks to protect our communities and having to go into another prolonged, damaging lockdown.”
FOLLOW OUR LIVE UPDATES HERE:
7.41am update: Boris Johnson explains new coronavirus restrictions are to flatten the second hump
The Prime Minister admitted the new rules, including no more than six people gathering and 10pm curfews in various areas are “excessive”.
But Mr Johnson added he will ease the rules if the second hump on the cases graph, like on a camel, is “stopped in its tracks”.
He told : “All this is to say that: Christmas we want to protect, and we want everyone to have a fantastic Christmas.
“But the only way to make sure the country is able to enjoy Christmas is to be tough now. So if we can grip it now, stop the surge, arrest the spike, stop the second hump of the dromedary, flatten the second hump.
“Dromedary or camel? I can’t remember if it is a dromedary or a camel that has two humps? Umm. Please check.
“Anyway a double hump. So that is what we need to do!”
