UK Covid live: Andy Burnham says England’s north must not be ‘sacrificial lamb’ for flawed No 10 lockdown policy

We think the government has decided correctly, guided by the science and the fact is that the number of cases in Essex is rising exponentially.

We understand that the move to the high local Covid alert level may affect people’s lives and businesses and understand the very strong feelings about this. However, we have a duty of care to the people of Essex, and we firmly believe that this is the best route to minimise disruptions, to save lives – not just for those with the virus, but for other patients as well – and to protect businesses.