Separate households in Wigan banned from meeting indoors as lockdown tightens

The order, which comes into force at midnight, is a response to increasing transmission rates of Covid-19 across parts of northern England.

New cases of the virus have been creeping up in Wigan in recent weeks but numbers have also remained among the lowest in Greater Manchester.

However, the ban on two households meeting indoors applies to the whole of the city-region as well as parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

Mr Hancock said; "The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing.

"We take this action with a heavy heart, but we can see increasing rates of Covid across Europe and are determined to do whatever is necessary to keep people safe,"

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said every borough in the city-region bar one had seen rising numbers of cases and gave his backing to the move.

He said: "Over recent days, there has been a marked change in the picture across Greater Manchester with regard to the spread of Covid-19.

"We have gone from a falling rate of cases in nearly all of our boroughs last week to a rising rate in nine out of ten affecting communities across a much wider geography. In Rochdale, the one borough where cases have fallen, they are still too high.

"We have always said that we will remain vigilant and be ready to respond quickly should the need arise. In line with that approach, I have agreed with the Health Secretary that it is right to act on the precautionary principle and introduce modest measures now to bring down the rate of new infections.

"I ask all Greater Manchester residents - young and old alike - to protect each other by observing these new requirements. They will be reviewed weekly; meaning the more we stick to them, the quicker they will be removed.

"This is a place which prides itself on looking out for each other. We now need to be true to that by not acting selfishly and keeping the health of others in mind at all times."

Wigan MP Lisa Nandy tweeted: "Told tonight this applies to homes and gardens but you can still visit public spaces where social distancing measures are in place.

"People will have a lot of questions and we are pressing for more information quickly. It is really hard but please follow advice and stay safe."

Ms Nandy added that people in a bubble with a single-person household could still mix, but larger households could no longer do so.