Lockdown measures have been tightened in Bolton as the borough grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases.
Infection rates in the area are now the highest in the country, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced today as he ordered a number of restrictions to be reintroduced.
Restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars must close 'immediately' under the new rules, but may continue to operate as takeaways, as they were permitted to during the national lockdown between March and July.
However this time a new curfew has also been imposed, which means hospitality businesses - including takeaways - must shut altogether between 10pm and 5am.
They will only be allowed to serve takeaway food and drink outside those hours, and will not be allowed to open to diners and drinkers at all until further notice.
The curfew applies to hospitality business operating hours only and does not prevent residents from leaving their own homes.
Bolton residents had already been banned from meeting with other households in homes and other indoor settings - including pubs, restaurants and bars - as part of wider measures introduced across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester in August.
Only Wigan and Stockport have so far been released from those restrictions. Bolton had been due to follow before rocketing rates of coronavirus infections saw the decision overturned.
Tougher measures have been introduced that now ban Boltonians from socialising with other households anywhere, including outdoors. Mr Hancock today announced that this would be enforceable by law.
In a statement the House of Commons today, he said contract tracing showed the recent spike in cases in the borough was partly due to people in their 20s and 30s socialising.
"Through our contact-tracing system, we have identified a number of pubs at which the virus has spread significantly," he said.
"We are therefore taking the following action in Bolton, starting immediately.
"We will restrict all hospitality to takeaway only and we will introduce a late night restriction of operating hours, which will mean all venues will be required to close from 10pm to 5am.
"We introduce urgently further measures that put the current guidance – that people cannot socialise outside their household – into law."
