Britain re-imposes COVID restrictions in parts of Manchester

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions would remain in place in the boroughs of Bolton and Trafford, contrary to his announcement on Aug. 28 that they would be lifted on Sept. 2. “Following a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days, a decision has been taken that Bolton and Trafford will now remain under existing…

LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – The British government re-imposed

local COVID-19 restrictions on parts of the Greater Manchester

area in northern England on Wednesday, just as they were being

lifted, the latest in a series of abrupt reversals.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions would remainin place in the boroughs of Bolton and Trafford, contrary to hisannouncement on Aug. 28 that they would be lifted on Sept. 2.

“Following a significant change in the level of infectionrates over the last few days, a decision has been taken thatBolton and Trafford will now remain under existingrestrictions,” Hancock said in a statement.

“We have always been clear we will take swift and decisiveaction where needed to contain outbreaks.”

The planned lifting of social distancing measures inTrafford and Bolton while they remained in place elsewhere inthe densely populated metropolitan area had provedcontroversial.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, of the oppositionLabour Party, had said it left residents in “an impossiblesituation”.(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Stephen Addison)