Coronavirus latest news: Matt Hancock to address Commons as Liverpool lockdown restrictions expected

'Scrutiny is meant to be inconvenient': How rebels won battle for lockdown votes Universities watchdog warns against punishing students with 'heavy-handed sanctions' Brexit latest news: European Commission poised to confirm legal action over Internal Market Bill Wrong address: More than 650 households escape quarantine fines Subscribe to The Telegraph Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson told BBC Breakfast he was expecting an announcement on further restrictions for Merseyside on Thursday morning following a Covid co-ordinating meeting chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He said he expected households to be banned from mixing in public venues, as they have been in the north east of England. He said: "We've already been told there will be restrictions and regulations put in place similar to Newcastle and the North East, so we expect that, but potentially also the Government might introduce even stricter measures so we've just got to wait now and see what they announce." Other measures may include ensuring that restaurants were taking bookings only or drinks only being served with food but Mr Anderson said that restricting travel, as has been done in place in parts of Wales, had not been put forward by ministers. Up to 20,000 students have returned to the city which could have contributed to the rise in infection rates, he said and added that there were 9,000 schoolchildren self-isolating in the city as well as 500 teachers. Health Secretary Matt Hancock will make a statement in the Commons at 10.30am amid speculation that further restrictions will be announced for Merseyside. Mr Anderson previously told The Telegraph it was "only a matter of days" before a circuit-breaker lockdown was introduced in the city because of its rising number of Covid cases. In the last seven days there have been 1,287 new cases in Liverpool, where the rate of new cases per 100,000 people has increased from 198.4 to 258.4. Liverpool's rate puts it in third place behind Burnley and Knowsley. Follow the latest updates below.

source https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-latest-news-boris-johnsons-194120796.html