Separate households have been banned from meeting indoors from midnight tonight in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire including Bradford.

The announcement comes as a disappointment for Muslims, as they are looking to celebrate Eid on Friday.

The new restrictions come after a rise in coronavirus cases. In Yorkshire, it applies to Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.

Greater Manchester, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, will also be affected by the tightening of restrictions.

The new measures mean different households will not be allowed to meet in homes or private gardens, but individual households will still be able to go to pubs and restaurants.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the move was part of “immediate action” to keep people safe.

“The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing,” he said.

“So from midnight tonight, people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in these areas.

“We take this action with a heavy heart, but we can see increasing rates of COVID across Europe and are determined to do whatever is necessary to keep people safe.”