Matt Hancock has revealed details about new lockdown measures in place across northern England tonight.
Earlier, the Health Secretary confirmed parts of Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and East Lancashire will be included in the new rules, which mean households cannot meet each other indoors from midnight tonight.
At 9.15pm he tweeted: "We're constantly looking at the latest data on the spread of coronavirus, and unfortunately we've seen an increasing rate of transmission in parts of Northern England.
"We've been working with local leaders across the region, and today I chaired a meeting of the Local Action Gold Committee. Based on the data, we decided that in Greater Manchester, parts of West Yorkshire & East Lancashire we need to take immediate action to keep people safe.
"The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing. So from midnight tonight, people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in these areas.
"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 neccessary to keep people safe."
Speaking to the media, Mr Hancock added: "We're constantly vigilant and we've been looking at the data and unfortunately we've seen across parts of Northern England an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus.
"So today I held a meeting of the Government's Gold Committee and working with local leaders including for instance Andy Burnham the mayor of Greater Manchester, we've decided that we need to action across Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire.
"So from midnight tonight (Friday) we are banning households meeting up indoors."
It is understood that under the restrictions, people can still go to pubs and restaurants as long as they only go with members of their own household.
Gardens are also understood to be off-limits - but you can meet other households in parks and outdoor spaces.
The new restrictions apply to Greater Manchester, as well as a number of places in East Lancashire - Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale.
In West Yorkshire, Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale are affected.
Leicester is also affected, which has been under a local lockdown since June 29.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said there had been a "marked change in the picture" in recent days regarding the spread of coronavirus.
He said: "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."
