The Prime Minister has today said that country is not going into 'another national lockdown' as he announced new social gathering laws.
Boris Johnson announced that from Monday people 'must not meet socially in groups of more than six' in England.
This will be enforceable by law.
Speaking about the rule at the Downing Street press conference on Wednesday (September 9), Mr Johnson said: “This will apply in any setting, indoors or outdoors, at home or in the pub.
“The ban will be set out in law and it will be enforced by the police – anyone breaking the rules risks being dispersed, fined and possibly arrested.
“This single measure replaces both the existing ban on gatherings of more than 30 and the current guidance on allowing two households to meet indoors. Now you only need to remember the rule of six.”
Mr Johnson also announced that plans to pilot larger audiences in venues later this month will be 'reviewed'.
But he reassured the public that the new measures and changes do not mean that England is going into another national lockdown.
"I want to be absolutely clear", he said.
"These measures are not another national lockdown. The whole point of them is to avoid a second national lockdown.
"By baring down on social contact and improving enforcement we can keep schools and businesses open in the knowledge that they are Covid secure."
The Prime Minister said he was 'sorry' that two whole households will no longer be able to meet if their total exceeds six people.
“This rule of six will of course throw up difficult cases, for example two whole households will no longer be able to meet if they would together exceed the limit of six people and I’m sorry about that, and I wish that we did not have to take this step", he said.
“But as your Prime Minister, I must do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and to save lives. And of course we will keep the rule of six under constant review and only keep it in place as long as is necessary.”
The new rules were announced as chief medical officer Chris Whitty said the number of coronavirus cases have been increasing 'much more rapidly' over the past few days.
He said that while the numbers among older people and children remained 'flat', in other age groups there were 'rapid upticks'.
He said among 17 to 18 year-olds and 19 to 21 year-olds the numbers had gone up 'really quite steeply' since mid August.
