Local authorities in England will have new powers from Saturday to tackle coronavirus outbreaks, the Prime Minister has announced.
The new powers will allow councils and ministers to close specific premises, shut down outdoor space, and cancel events.
Stay at home orders could also be imposed, Boris Johnson added.
He unveiled the new tools at a coronavirus press conference on Friday.
Speaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: “At the start of the pandemic, we knew far less about the spread of the virus and we had to take blanket national measures.
“National lockdown was undoubtedly the right thing to do and has saved many thousands of lives.
“Now, however, we know more about the virus, we understand the epidemiology better and our intelligence about where it is spreading is vastly improved.
“That means we can control it through targeted local action instead.”
While local powers may seem “unjust” to those affected, Mr Johson stressed that they are vital to tackle inevitable local spikes.
He added: “This local approach relies on having an effective testing regime in place. And, here, we have made substantial progress.
“Antigen test capacity, that’s the test which tells you if you currently have the virus, has increased 100-fold since the start of March – from fewer than 2,000 tests a day to more than 200,000 tests a day now.”
Leicester was imposed with a local lockdown two weeks ago, where Mr Johnson said the percentage of people testing positive in the city is now falling.
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