BRADFORD district – together with all other West Yorkshire authorities – is to become a Covid Tier 3 'very high alert level' area.

This means that from one minute past midnight on Monday (November 2), the district will be under the strictest set of restrictions designed to stop the spread of the virus.

The new restrictions mean that:

• People must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless they are part of their household or support bubble. This includes private homes and indoors in hospitality venues, such as pubs.

• People must not meet with people outside of their household or support bubble in a private garden or in most outdoor public venues.

• People can continue to see friends and family in groups of six or less that they don’t live with (or have formed a support bubble with) in certain outdoor public spaces, such as a park or public garden.

Very High restrictions also mean that:

• People can attend Covid-safe places of worship but must avoid mingling.

• Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place in Covid-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces unless in exceptional circumstances. Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are restricted to 15 people. Receptions must not take place.

• Funerals must only take place in Covid-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces with up to 30 people in attendance. Wakes or linked ceremonial events before or after the funeral are limited to 15 people and must not take place in private homes.

• Schools and colleges will remain open.

• People should not visit a care home except in exceptional circumstances, for example to visit an individual who is at the end of their life.

• People should try to avoid travelling outside their local area where possible, or entering another area rated Very High other than for work, education, accessing youth services, or to meet caring responsibilities.

• People should also avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are a resident of Bradford district and avoid staying overnight in the district if they are resident elsewhere.

There are also new rule changes for businesses which mean that the following business venues must close:

• Pubs and bars will be closed unless they are serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal; they may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal

• Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am

• Casinos

• Soft Play Areas

• Adult Gaming Centres

• Betting Shops

• Car boot sales

• Shisha bars (serving shisa) – these venues may operate but only as a cafe and are not allowed to serve shisha.

Gyms can remain open but guidance is against indoor exercise classes taking place.

For more information on the new restrictions, visit bradford.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Bradford Council is working through the guidance for each restriction and what this means, and will share more updates and information.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “Let’s be clear, further economic restrictions on Bradford and West Yorkshire are going to be damaging for businesses and jobs. There is a 'template' of funding available from Government to support these businesses but I do not think it will be enough. Neither were Government in the mood to give us more. Government are seriously underestimating the economic impact of these measures and we in West Yorkshire will challenge them to improve upon them.

“No one can deny that the infection rates are now very high indeed so action needs to be taken. The Government has a tiered approach to how to manage the infection and for areas with high infections this is the next step in their programme. They have told us they are not contemplating a national lockdown as we saw at the start of the pandemic. So this is the only intervention on offer.

“I have concerns about the low paid who can ill afford to self-isolate, the £500 grant, just introduced, has many criteria to qualify and it has taken months for Government to act on this. We first raised it in July but it wasn’t introduced until this month. People will lose their jobs, youth unemployment has doubled.

“As a council we are committed to helping people get back on their feet but the Government package of financial support to businesses limits the district’s ability to sustain jobs at the same scale they were.

“I issue a heartfelt plea to everyone to stay apart, wear a face covering indoors and wash your hands. If you get Covid please self-isolate for the whole 10 days. Too few people nationally do.

“The sooner we can reduce infection rates the sooner we will be able to reduce the level of restrictions. So please remember to wash hands, wear a mask, keep your distance and self-isolate if you have the virus or have symptoms.”

Keighley MP Robbie Moore said this evening: "West Yorkshire will be entering Tier 3 ‘very high‘ status from midnight this Sunday. Our area has been in restrictions since the end of July and I completely understand the frustration that many individuals, families and businesses will be feeling as we move into the very high risk tier.

"Bradford district has the highest rates of Covid cases across the whole of West Yorkshire and even though our Covid cases across the constituency are not as high as elsewhere in the district, we are seeing a constant increase. One of the key influences in the decision making to move a region into Tier 3 is capacity within the NHS. From speaking with the CEO at Airedale Hospital, as of last weekend their inpatient beds are now at capacity and as a result they have taken the decision to postpone any elective surgery that needs an overnight stay for the next two weeks. Urgent and emergency cases and cancer surgery will be carrying on as normal. There day case activity will also continue for now, with their teams ensuring they are working on the basis of clinical priority.

"We do need to reduce the spread of Covid transmission dramatically. Whilst I do not in any way favour further restrictions being imposed on our livelihoods, I remain hopeful the Tier 3 measures will help reduce pressure on our NHS and aim to protect lives.

"Our government is supporting West Yorkshire with an extra £59 million going to support businesses and protect jobs in our region. Further information will follow on this, but this funding package is on top of the additional funding already given to councils.

"I’ve sought reassurance that gyms can remain open to provide the mental and physical stimulus that people really need right now.

"I have also sought clarity and more detail on certain measures, as well as further financial support for particular sectors who have already been hard hit. Joining other colleagues by writing to the Prime Minister earlier this week, I have made it clear to government, it is now more important than ever that we understand how we will emerge from the toughest level of restrictions so that our region will come back fighting fit."