What coronavirus restrictions are in place and which areas of the UK are at risk of lockdown?

Following nationwide easing of restrictions, health officials are now reporting an uptick in cases across UK, raising prospect of more localised lockdowns

Although the vast majority of the UK has now emerged from lockdown, there are parts of England and Scotland that are continuing to observe strict coronavirus restrictions amid heightened infection rates.

From Leicester, the first city to be placed back into lockdown, to Blackburn and Aberdeen, pockets of the UK have been forced to take drastic action as authorities attempt to tackle localised surges in cases.

The “whack-a-mole” strategy, as prime minister Boris Johnson put it, has proven relatively successful to date. In the case of Leicester, the infection rate has slowly fallen over the past six weeks – yet such an approach has taken its toll on the city’s wellbeing and economy.

Following the nationwide easing of restrictions, health officials are now reporting an uptick in cases across the UK, raising the prospect of more localised lockdowns.

So which areas are at risk? What regions are already back in lockdown? And what are the current rules in place?

Oldham

Total cases: 2,660

Rate per 100,000 population: 1,121.8

What’s the latest?

The threat of lockdown looms large over the Greater Manchester town, with health secretary Matt Hancock warning that the government “will do what is necessary” if the situation escalates.

Figures for the seven days to 15 August show the town had a rate of 83.1 new cases per 100,000, down from 109.7 in the seven days to 8 August, with 197 new cases.

Labour councillor Sean Fielding has urged ministers not to impose stricter measures across the town, even though “raw numbers” are similar to those in Leicester when it was put into lockdown.

“We already have youth unemployment of 9.5 per cent and 15 per cent of unemployment generally so it would be really, really catastrophic for businesses and for the working-age population in Oldham if there were to be a local lockdown,” he said.

Oldham is one of the parts of northern England where restrictions were brought in at the end of July to prevent households from mixing indoors, due to a regional increase in Covid-19 cases.

Leicester

Total cases: 5,464

Rate per 100,000 population: 1,542.5

What’s the latest?

The first area in the UK to be placed under local lockdown, Leicester’s restrictions were partially lifted in July, with schools and nurseries allowed to reopen, and then further in early August, when pubs, bars and restaurants were permitted to resume business.

On Tuesday, the government said that nail bars, outdoor pools and beauty salons can reopen but restrictions on gatherings in private homes and gardens still remain in place.

The decision to place Leicester into lockdown was taken after the city’s infection rate rose to 135 cases per 100,000 people. This had fallen to 60 cases per 100,000 in the week beginning 7 August.

However, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said infection rates are still too high for a full easing, bringing the city in line with restrictions that have been enforced across Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire and east Lancashire.

Shielding for the most vulnerable will continue but with easing in Leicester to allow individuals to meet in a group of up to six people outdoors while maintaining social distancing.

Aberdeen

Total cases: 1,107

Rate per 100,000 population: 484.1

What’s the latest?

Lockdown was first reimposed on Aberdeen two weeks ago after a Covid-19 cluster was detected, and Nicola Sturgeon announced on Wednesday that restrictions would be extended for another week due to the lingering threat of transmission.

Pubs and restaurants in the city will stay closed and restrictions on household gatherings and travel will remain in place.

The first minister said she hopes to be able to lift the restrictions for “lower risk premises”, such as non-licensed cafes, from next Wednesday and a midweek review will take place on Sunday.

A total of 398 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in the Grampian area since 26 July, she added, with 226 of these associated with the cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs.

Ms Sturgeon said the outbreak is “by some distance the most significant outbreak” Scotland had seen since lockdown measures were eased, but she added on Wednesday that the situation in Aberdeen is “undoubtedly improving”.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the situation in Aberdeen is improving (PA)

Swindon

Total cases: 1,137

Rate per 100,000 population: 511.7

What’s the latest?

The town has the highest rate in the south of England, with ministers said to be worried after 66 people tested positive for Covid-19 over a four-day period last week.

These latest cases are not reflected in Swindon’s current rolling seven-day rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 people, which runs only to last Friday.

In the seven days prior to then, the town had a rate of 40.1 with 89 new cases, down from 47.7 (with 106 new infections) in the previous week.

Steve Maddern, Swindon Borough Council’s director of public health, said the town was “on the government’s national watch-list as an ‘area of concern’ following a spike in cases in late July involving workers at a local distribution centre, which was swiftly managed and contained.”

He said that, based on the latest evidence, authorities “are not seeing community-wide transmission of the virus like other places across the country.”

Mr Maddern added: “We cannot be complacent and we need everyone in the town to play their part.”

Birmingham

Total cases: 5,918

Rate per 100,000 population: 518.3

What’s the latest?

On Tuesday, authorities announced that visits to care homes in Birmingham have been banned amid a rise in infection rates.

The city’s public health director Dr Justin Varney wrote to homes last week ordering an immediate stop to all “non-essential” visits.

He said Birmingham currently has a rate of about 29 cases per 100,000 people. Officials recorded a 60 per cent increase in infections last week, Dr Varney added.

“It’s so important that everyone ... does take action, does listen to the advice ... because it’s up to what we do that makes the decision [whether] we go into lockdown or not,” he said.

Employees and customers are being urged to flag up any concerns about workplaces, pubs, restaurants, retailers and other spaces that are not following guidance.

City council chiefs say around three-quarters of businesses are following guidelines and keeping their staff and customers safe.

Latest weekly Covid-19 rates for local authority areas in England – top 10:

1. Northampton*: 124.2 cases per 100,000 people
2. Blackburn with Darwen: 86.2 
3. Oldham: 83.1 
4. Pendle: 69.5 
5. Bradford: 54.8 
6. Leicester: 50.5 
7. Manchester: 47.6
8. Swindon: 40.1 
9. Rochdale: 39.6
10. Calderdale: 38.3

* Northampton continues to have the highest rate, due to an outbreak at the Greencore sandwich factory. A total of 279 new cases were recorded in the town in the seven days to 15 August, the equivalent of 124.2 per 100,000 people – up from 38.7 in the seven days to 8 August.