Covid guidance for people in eight Covid hotspots in England will be updated after mass confusion and an outcry from local leaders.
The government will make a minor change to its description of rules for 2million people in Burnley, Bedford, Blackburn, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside, all hit by the Indian Covid variant.
But the government will not actually change the substance of the guidance - it will only "make clear" it is guidance and advice, not the law or a "restriction".
The guidance will still advise people to minimise travel in and out of the eight affected areas, and those in the eight areas should avoid meeting indoors where possible.
The guidance was never the law. But the way it was given had led to fears legal restrictions or local lockdowns could be introduced by the back door in future.
Tonight, however, a government spokesman said: "We will be updating the guidance for areas where the new COVID-19 variant is spreading to make it clearer we are not imposing local restrictions.
"Instead, we are providing advice on the additional precautions people can take to protect themselves and others in those areas where the new variant is prevalent.
"This includes, wherever possible, trying to meet outdoors rather than indoors, keeping 2 metres apart from anyone you don’t live with and minimising travel in and out the area.
"These are not new regulations but they are some of the ways everyone can help bring the variant under control in their local area."
The row erupted over government guidance issued last Friday, which said people “should try to avoid” travelling in and out of eight English areas hit by the Indian Covid variant.
The guidance also said people in those areas should try to meet outside rather than inside where possible, despite indoor gatherings of six being allowed.
And it said residents should try to keep two metres apart from people not in their household or bubble, despite national guidance saying people can make their own decisions on hugging.
By 7.15pm tonight the new guidance itself had not been published, only a government statement saying it would change.
It was not immediately apparent whether the wording of the new guidance on travel would change - for example, to ask people to "minimise" non-essential travel rather than "try to avoid" it.
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted: "Absolutely ridiculous. Dangerously incompetent and yet again treating people with contempt."
The original guidance was quietly published online on Friday night but there was no announcement - leading to fury from local leaders.
Neither London mayor Sadiq Khan, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham nor directors of public health were told about the updated guidance.
The government has claimed Boris Johnson was “clear” about the rules - including in a press conference on May 14.
But the PM did not say people in variant hotspots should avoid travel. He listed other measures they could take, and said they should be “extra cautious”.
Downing Street had earlier stood by the guidance, emphasising that while it is not the law and never has been, "non-essential travel" is not encouraged.
Asked if families in the eight areas should cancel half-term plans, the PM's spokesman said they should "understand the extra risk of transmissibility this variant poses, and recognise that there is extra risk and a potential threat of disruption to the roadmap.
“So we urge people to use caution.”
But Andy Burnham said: "People will have laid plans and have arrangements in place for the bank holiday weekend.
"And I don’t think it is reasonable to expect people will change all those plans on the back of something that was issued without reasonable explanation a few days ago."
The Greater Manchester mayor demanded an urgent update to the guidance - which is not a legal ban - today to make it clearer.
Mr Burnham said: “Let’s not repeat the mistakes of last year, let’s have this cleared up immediately ahead of the bank holiday weekend so everyone knows where they stand.”
Bolton Council's Tory leader David Greenhalgh agreed residents “shouldn’t be cancelling their holidays if they’ve had them planned for half term."
He signalled the confusion and being "singled out" could lead to unrest, telling reporters: "There is an underlying resentment that could very easily, if we are not careful, turn into anger."
A joint statement this afternoon by directors of public health in Burnley, Bedford, Blackburn, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside said: "Following the national coverage of recently revised guidance we have met with national officials and confirmed there are no restrictions on travel in or out of each of our areas: There are no local lockdowns."
