About 8 mln Britons face tighter lockdown rules as UK reaches 'critical time' in virus fight

People wearing protective face masks pass a social distancingsign at Waterloo station, the busiest train station in the UK, during themorning rush hour, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London,Britain, Sept 7, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - Almost 8 million Britons willbe subjected to tighter lockdown restrictions next week after fresh measureswere imposed in the West Midlands and Scotland, local media reported Saturday.

From Tuesday, households in Birmingham,Sandwell and Solihull will be banned from mixing after the region reported asurge in coronavirus cases, according to the Evening Standard newspaper.

Further north, Lanarkshire joins areasaround Glasgow subject to tougher controls, with the new rules in force as ofmidnight on Friday.

Previously, nine new local authoritieswere added to Public Health England's watchlist, meaning they, too, could soonsee new restrictions imposed. They are: Gateshead, Sunderland,Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Hertsmere, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Sheffield and StHelens.

Some 5.8 million people in England (onein 10) will be forced to follow tougher rules than the rest of the country,when the new measures take effect in the West Midlands, according to analysisby Sky News.

Designated areas in Bradford, Kirklees,Calderdale, Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Greater Manchester whererestrictions are already in place remain as areas of national intervention, theBritish Department of Health confirmed.

The British government imposes the newrestrictions at a time when countries, such as Britain, China, Russia and theUnited States, are engaged in a race against time to develop a vaccine for thenew coronavirus.

A study by Imperial College London foundthat coronavirus cases in England were doubling every seven to eight days atthe beginning of September.

The findings of the Real-Time Assessmentof Community Transmission study suggest the virus is now spread more widely inthe community.