Seven North-East councils are facing local COVID-19 restrictions as cases continue to rise in the region.
Northumberland, Newcastle, Sunderland, North and South Tyneside, Gateshead and County Durham could all be affected by the new measures.
The restrictions could prevent households from mixing together in any public places or in a different property. Pubs and other hospitality venues could also be subject to a 10 p.m curfew.
An announcement outlining the details of restrictions in the region is expected later today with the new measures set to begin from Friday, September 18.
COVID-19 cases have risen quickly across the North East in recent weeks and Sunderland, Gateshead, Newcastle and South Tyneside were all placed on the Government’s watchlist last weekend.
In the week up to September 13, 1,106 new cases were reported in the North East. South Tyneside recorded the highest rate with 93.4 cases per 100,000 people while Sunderland and Gateshead had over 80 cases per 100,000 recorded.
Earlier this week, Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said councillors from across the North East combined to take a proactive approach to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the region.
He said: “Cases of COVID-19 are increasing rapidly across our region, and it is only right that we take a joined-up approach to protect residents right across the North East.
“Our towns and cities now have some of the highest infection rates in the country and we are not prepared to sit and wait for the Government to tell us what to do.
“Together, we want to take action now to take back control and stop this virus ripping through our communities.
“We’re asking for the power, funding, and resources to change things now in order to protect our most vulnerable. We know that a large proportion of the transmission occurs in the hospitality trade and in people’s homes, so we need to be able to target these areas among others.
