People shop at reopened Preston Market in Preston, Britain, June 5, 2020. (Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua)
Across all of England, the rules on wearing face coverings were extended from Saturday, with police empowered to slap fines for breaking the rules.
LONDON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- As more COVID-19 flare-ups were detected in parts of Britain, cities and towns affected are seeking to reintroduce lockdown measures or delay lockdown easing.
Preston in northwest England became the latest local city to reintroduce some lockdown measures after recording an increase in COVID-19 cases. Among others, it joined Manchester, Salford, Bradford and Leicester in England, as well as Aberdeen in Scotland.
City leaders said people mixing with other households in bars as well as in their homes has led to a need for increased restrictions.
Restrictions are also in place in several towns in northern England where a ban on allowing visitors to family homes is among the control measures.
A number of other towns have also joined an official watchlist as health chiefs monitor growing numbers of infection rates. Bedford and Swindon have both been added to the list as areas of concern.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced Friday current rules on social gatherings will continue in parts of northwest England, West Yorkshire and Leicester, following a review of local COVID-19 cases.
A man walks past a stall selling face masks in Manchester, Britain on Aug. 3, 2020. According to local media, a major incident has been declared by authorities in Greater Manchester following recent rises in coronavirus infection rates. (Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua)
Greater Manchester, made up of the cities of Manchester and Salford and eight neighboring boroughs, remains the biggest part of Britain to be affected by local restrictions following an increase in cases.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Combined Authority said: "Alongside the continued measures, Greater Manchester will be taking further action locally over the next seven days. Targeted enforcement will be taking place, such as mystery shoppers visiting pubs and restaurants to ensure they are complying and taking down customer's details."
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham's office also said direct and simple messages will continue to be sent to the public, especially to the younger people, to make sure it is clear there should be no social visits to homes while restrictions remain in place.
Parts of East Lancashire as well as the areas of the adjoining county of West Yorkshire, have also been told their restrictions on social gatherings will continue.
Further south, controls on social gatherings are continuing in Leicester. The city has seen case numbers halve since the restrictions came into force.
People wearing face masks walk on the street after localized lockdown in Leicester, Britain, July 1, 2020. TO GO WITH XINHUA HEADLINES OF JULY 4, 2020 (Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua)
The extension of the lockdown came as the number of deaths related to COVID-19 in Britain passed 46,000 while the total number of cases hit more than 309,000.
Across all of England, the rules on wearing face coverings were extended from Saturday, with police empowered to slap fines for breaking the rules.
Cinemas, bingo halls and hair and nail salons have been added to the list which already included shops, supermarkets, museums and galleries and public areas in hotels requiring face coverings to be worn.
With rising temperatures, people in other parts of the country, free from restrictions on movements, set out on journeys to popular tourism spots, leading some local officials to appeal to day-trippers to stay away from popular coastal areas.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "As we continue to see rising rates of the virus across Europe, it is vital we take every precaution to protect our country. I urge everyone in these areas to follow the rules, get yourself a free test as soon as you get any symptoms, and isolate if NHS Test and Trace tells you to."
A vehicle moves past a billboard in Jonesborough, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, on Jan. 31, 2020. The United Kingdom will leave the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31, 2020. (Photo by Paul McErlane/Xinhua)
In Scotland, where restrictions on movement have been put into place in the City of Aberdeen, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced more indoor venues will require people to wear face coverings from Saturday. The rule will include libraries and museums as well as churches across Scotland.
Sturgeon confirmed that more than 100 positive COVID-19 cases have been linked to a cluster in port city Aberdeen, with a warning the number is expected to rise further.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland will Monday become the final part of Britain to require face masks to be worn in some indoor locations. ■
