Leeds has been placed under stricter local lockdown rules in an effort to slow spread of cases of coronavirus in the district.

Officials from Leeds City Council revealed the news at a lunchtime press conference yesterday, ahead of official confirmation from the Government in the afternoon.

The tighter restrictions came into effect at midnight and mean that people from two households are banned from meeting in a private home or garden.

It brings Leeds into line with neighbouring districts, Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale.

What the new rules say

Basically, you can not meet people from other households in a private home or garden.

This means you can not visit someone else's home or garden, even if they live outside Leeds, and they can not come to your house or garden to visit you.

There a plenty of exemptions to the ban though, like people in the same social bubble, exemptions for childcare and for people needing to eneter homes for work.

You can find a full list of exemptions here.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock officially announced the rules yesterday

Why they have been brought in now

The coronavirus infection rate in Leeds has been increasing for a number of weeks now.

In Yorkshire, Leeds has consistently seen the most - or second most, behind Bradford - new cases confirmed each day for the majority of September.

Yesterday the district's infection rate broke 100 for the first time and it rose again today. That is some way off Bradford, on 154.1, and even further behind the most infected area, Bolton on 242.0, but it is only going one way and the officials feel they have to take action.

The reasons for the spread of cases are not totally clear but the Government has pinpointed stopping households from mixing as a key way we can reduce the number of new cases.

Yesterday, Leeds City Council's Chief Executive, Mr Riordan, said: "We don’t have enough people doing those basics of wearing a mask, socially distancing and that is what we will need next.”

Where the rules apply

The whole of the Leeds district has been placed under the same rules.

As Council Leader Judith Blake put it yesterday: "If people have their bin emptied by Leeds City Council they will be included in the restrictions.”

How long the rules will last

As long as they need to, but we are probably looking at a longer stint than previous rule changes.

Leeds' Director of Public Health, Victoria Eaton, warned they could be in place for the rest of winter.

She said: "The expectation is that the restrictions will be in place for a longer period of time, potentially right through the winter."

The Government said they will keep the rules under constant review so they could potentially be lifted sooner.

What happens if you break the rules

West Yorkshire Police can give you a fixed penalty notice for a fine of £200, doubling for further breaches up to a maximum of £6,400.

How people have reacted

Unsurprisingly, people in Leeds were mostly upset by the new rules, whether they agreed with them or not.

Some blamed people not following the previous rules for the new restirctions. Elena Nicola, for example, commented: "It’s the ones that haven’t followed the rules is the reason why we’re almost back to square one."

Others questioned the logic behind some of the rules. Lisa Longbottom said: "It’s very vague and open to people not doing what is expected of them and I am sorry but if it’s OK for family to go to each other’s and childmind then it should be ok for me to visit my elderly mum."

And there were those who argued people would not stick to the new rules if they were kept in place for the whole of winter.

Irene Westwood said: "Do they really expect people not to see their grandchildren for 6months including ChristmasWhen they’ve already missed them for over 3months already."

What the council have said

Announcing the rules this morning, Leeds Council Chief Executive Tom Riordan, said: "It looks like we are in the middle of the second wave so we do support these household restrictions being brought in at this stage and this is something that we really need the city to get behind."

Council Leader Judith Blake said the messaging can be “confusing and contradictory” but the council has come up with a whole “raft of messages” that will help people to comply and will protect communities across Leeds.

She added: "Everyone has to take personal responsibility for the way that they behave.”

What MPs have said

When the Department for Health and Social Care officially announced the restrictions at around 6pm yesterday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We continue to see an acceleration of COVID-19 cases across the country, especially in the North West and the North East.

"Working alongside our scientific and public health experts and local leaders, we are prepared to take swift and decisive action to reduce transmission of the virus and protect communities.

“I recognise the burden and impact these additional measures have on our daily lives but we must act collectively and quickly to bring down infections.

“We all have a part to play and I urge everyone to isolate and get a test if you have symptoms, follow the advice of NHS Test and Trace, and always remember ‘hands, face, space’.”

Leeds' MPs have been fairly subdued on the news. Most have tweeted advice from the Government or the Council and urged constituents to follow the rules.
