This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
Published on June 30, 2020, the UK government has taken a U-turn on its plans to ease lockdown restrictions in Leicester, a city in the Midlands, due to a surge in coronavirus cases.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the city would be subject to stricter measures, including the closure of schools and non-essential shops, in an effort to control the spread of the virus.
"Unfortunately, while cases in most parts of the country have fallen since the peak, in Leicester they've continued to rise," Hancock told parliament after a meeting with local leaders.
The city has recorded 866 new cases of coronavirus in the past two weeks, with a total of 3,000 cases since the outbreak began in March, according to local authorities.
Leicester's elected mayor, Peter Soulsby, had previously argued against extending the lockdown in his city, suggesting the higher numbers were in part due to higher levels of testing.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to clamp down on any localised outbreaks, describing his approach as a "whack-a-mole strategy" where local authorities are empowered to crack down on outbreaks.
