Tougher measures have been introduced in Oldham as health bosses try to slow the spread of coronavirus locally.
The borough in Greater Manchester has seen a spike of more than 100 cases in a week as people in high-risk jobs were tested in a pilot study.
And after just a few weeks of residents enjoying visitors to their home and 'social bubbles', they have now been banned.
The borough's 250,000 residents must also keep two metres apart from friends and family when seeing them outside, the Manchester Evening News reports.
From Friday, vulnerable and elderly people who have been shielding are now being asked to continue to do so for another two weeks.
Ed and Ann Jones, from Lees, said that people in Oldham should have "followed the rules to begin with".
"I thought it'd be over by now", Ed sighed, "If people had obeyed the rules to begin with, we'd be all right now."
"People haven't been doing it", 59-year-old Ann said.
"Like with the raves that they've had. I don't think the younger ones understand how it's actually affecting people. I didn't go in a supermarket from March for three months. The only people I've had round is my son and my daughter."
The couple questioned why the council couldn't impose the measures on specific parts of Oldham, rather than the entire town.
"It would make sense to lockdown the area where these cases are rising, Oldham is a big place", Ann added.
"That way you'd know who is breaking the rules."
Oldham Council said a "significant proportion" of recent cases involve multiple people testing positive in a single household.
Town hall chiefs said that shows household spread is a "real issue" - especially in cases in which large families live together in one home.
"If you've got a big family and you're all under one roof it's really hard not to mingle with other people", Ed added.
The tougher guidelines are aimed at avoiding a full government-mandated local lockdown like the one that has taken place in Leicester.
In the seven days to July 25 there have been 119 new cases of the virus in Oldham.
This is more than a fourfold increase from the previous week, ending July 17, which saw 26 positive cases.
Just four days ago, the government had dropped the borough from its watch list of areas of concern due to a fall in the infection rate.
As part of the guidelines, people are being urged to wear a mask when they cannot guarantee being able to stay two metres apart, such as in shops and on public transport.
But local business owner Pauline Jackson, who runs a shop which specialises in shoe repairs and key cutting, said masks should have been compulsory "from day one".
"I think people would rather stay at home now than wear a mask", she said.
"I think from day one when shops were allowed to open that masks should have been compulsory to everybody.
"I think wearing the masks should have come out right at the beginning."
The 56-year-old from Chadderton said the lockdown has had a huge impact on her business.
"We're not on our own, everybody is exactly the same. It hasn't picked up", she said.
"We do rely on the elderly age group and they're not coming out.
"With the elderly and vulnerable having to stay in again for two weeks that will massively impact the business.
"I think it's going to have a very big impact on us all."
Barbara Davidson has been visiting her daughter Angela and grandchildren since the lockdown measures were eased earlier this month.
Shopping in the town centre with her daughter she asked: "So are we doing something illegal now by being together?"
"It's a big change for people if all of a sudden if goes back to a lockdown", she added.
June Brooks from Hathershaw has been visiting her son every Tuesday.
The 82-year-old said she's "not surprised" the cases are rising.
But Marie, a carer from Springhead, said she was shocked to hear about the new, tougher restrictions.
"I haven't really noticed anyone not following the rules, but town today seems quite busy really", she said.
"It is a worry when the cases are rising quite significantly."
Iqbal, a taxi driver in Oldham, said the tougher restrictions will impact his family's Eid celebrations on Friday.
"It's like our Christmas", he said.
"We've just been getting things back to normal.
"The mosques have opened up again and people are coming and going, so it will be back to square one again.
"You've just got to be careful, check your temperatures, make sure nobody has been in contact with anyone and just be careful.
"It will affect Eid because it's a big gathering so I don't know how it's going to work out. All the family usually gets together."
Deputy council leader and cabinet member for COVID-19 recovery Arooj Shahsaid the best way to avoid infection is limiting contact with others and staying home "wherever you can", including working from home where possible.
She urged people to meet in groups of no more than six people from different households when outside, and said gatherings larger than six should only take place if everyone is exclusively from two households or support bubbles.
"It is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in private homes, including gardens and other outdoor spaces, and for a range of other events, including weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and services, community activities and support groups the government advice is the same", Cllr Shah added.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the borough had been chosen as one of four pilot sites in the country testing people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus.
Katrina Stephens, director of public health for Oldham, urged anyone with symptoms to book a coronavirus test online.
“If we all do our bit and stick to the restrictions now, we can help stop the spread of coronavirus, and protect ourselves and our loved ones", she added.
If someone tests positive they should self-isolate for seven days and members of their family and support bubble, as well as other people they have been in contact with should self-isolate for 14 days.
This applies even if they have been tested and received a negative result, as it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear.
