Birmingham was already on Public Health England's watchlist and last month was named an area requiring “enhanced support” to curb the virus' spread. The West Midlands mayor, Andy Street, announced the restrictions on household mixing in Birmingham and neighbouring Solihull and Sandwell boroughs. The Health Secretary has said guidance that residents cannot socialise outside of their households in the city will become law. The leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Ian Ward, said there had been a rise in percentage of cases reported, including from "people of a white ethnicity". Solihull's latest infection rate for the week ending September 8 was 62.8.

Source: Daily Mirror September 11, 2020 13:15 UTC