York will face Tier 2 COVID-19 measures from Saturday, alongside London and Essex, according to the BBC.
The new tiered system, introduced to the UK on Monday, is the government’s way of producing more targeted lockdowns.
Being in Tier 2 means that households will no longer be allowed to mix from Saturday.
The rule of six will also be coming back as part of the tougher measures, where a maximum of six individuals will be allowed in both private gardens and public spaces.
Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to remain open, however the national 10pm curfew still applies, and households will not be allowed to mix inside.
The council has said that the measures will be reviewed in 14 days.
According to BBC Radio York, any household that pays Council Tax to the City of York will be included in the Tier 2 measures.
Councillor Keith Aspden, leader of the City of York Council, said: “our businesses have stepped up and created controlled safe spaces for people to enjoy the city. It is crucial that we continue in this spirit, shop local, and work together to protect the people and places we love.
“Together with our partners, we will continue to lobby the government for further financial support for our local businesses during this difficult time, as it is absolutely critical that the government unlock more funding for businesses and to ensure employment support in areas with additional resources.”
York Central’s MP, Rachael Maskell did not believe that moving York into Tier 2 would stop the spread of the virus.
Speaking in Parliament today, Maskell said: “I do not believe the measures in Tier 2 are going to be sufficient to stop the spread of the virus in our city, which is rising incredibly sharply, in our older population too.
“York experiences real challenges every winter because of the capacity issues at the hospital and without taking more acute action now, I’m concerned we’re going to be in serious difficulty in just a few weeks time”.
According to the UK’s Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, the number of cases of COVID-19 has increased by 60% over the last week.