Restrictions reimposed on parts of northern England

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Friday that it was ''absolutely necessary'' to reimpose some restrictions in the north of England after local rises in coronavirus cases.

The local lockdowns were announced on Thursday evening, when the government banned people from different households from meeting indoors in Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

The measure still allows people to go to pubs and restaurants as long as they belong to the same household.

Hancock told British broadcaster Sky News that it was important to move quickly to keep the virus under control once a high number of new cases was detected.

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, supported the decision, but said that ministers should have given more detail at the time of the announcement.