'Local lockdowns' will be part of government plans to control coronavirus in the future, the health secretary has confirmed.
Speaking at today's daily press briefing Matt Hancock said that areas with local flare-ups will be put in lockdown as part of the new test, track and trace system.
He also gave further details on how the contact tracing system will work.
He told the briefing: “Yes, we will have local lockdowns in future where there are flare-ups and we have a system we are putting in place with a combination of Public Health England and the new joint bio-security centre, along with the local directors of public health who play an absolutely crucial role in the decision-making in the system to make sure if there is a local flare-up there is a local lockdown.
“And so local lockdowns will be part of the future system that we put in place as part of the NHS test-and-trace system.”
Earlier this month, communities secretary Robert Jenrick had said that as restrictions are lifted across the country, some could be reimposed at a local level if required.
Mr Hancock said that contact tracers working for the programme would inform anyone who had been in contact with a known case of coronavirus.
He said the nation has a "civic duty" to self-isolate if told to by the programme.
“If you’re phoned up and asked to self-isolate even though you’re perfectly healthy because you’ve been in close contact with somebody who’s tested positive, then it’s your civic duty to then self-isolate," he said.
He added that it should be done "for yourself, for your community, for your family" urging people to "come together".
Mr Hancock faced questions over Dominic Cummings' trip to Country Durham during lockdown as the government faces increased calls to sack the chief aide.
He told the Downing Street briefing he believes that Mr Cummings acted within the guidelines set out by the government.
“I can understand why reasonable people can take a different view, but my judgment, which is the same as the Prime Minister’s judgment, is that what Mr Cummings did was within the guidelines," he said.
“After all, the guidelines allow for exceptional circumstances, particularly with regards to childcare and we’ve stated before that if you’re unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance.”
