Susanna Reid and Bill Turnbull grilled Work and Pensions minister Therese Coffey on GMB today after the government advised that people should not travel in and out of eight areas in England.
On Friday the government changed the advice on GOV.uk and said Bolton, Leicester, Kirklees and the London borough of Hounslow were hardest hit, and that people there should not meet indoors.
People should avoid travelling in to and out of the eight areas, with Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and North Tyneside also on the list.
People in the eight areas should also be tested twice a week, according to the Government advice.
But there were no formal announcements made and today Susanna and her co-host Bill Turnbull asked why people in those areas weren't told.
Ms Coffey said: "It has been clear to local communities, the testing and vaccines have had a focused approach and it's important the government sets out formal guidance, but the activity on the ground is clear, working in partnership with local councils. "
Susanna said: "You've effectively announced eight local lockdowns, you have a very expensive new briefing room, you could have held a briefing to announce this."
Ms Coffey said: "These are sensible precautions, there has been extra communications on the ground, testing and vaccines show the government is concerned."
Bill said: "We're not asking that question, one of the basic rules of government, you make a rule, you give guidance and you tell people."
Ms Coffey argued that people in the communities had been told to take extra precautions and that the message had been clear from government that people should be extra careful in those communities.
Susanna then turned to half term and asked what people in those areas should do about travelling to see family and friends, or going on holiday to a green list country.
Ms Coffey said: "There is a higher risk for people in those communities, I think people are being more cautious and taking a sensible approach.
"They have to consider carefully if travel is necessary, they should have extra caution because this new variant does transmit more easily."
Ms Coffey then spoke about the June 21 unlocking and said the government were still looking at the data, but she warned: "We're not out of the woods yet when it comes to Covid."
*GMB continues at 6am on ITV tomorrow
