today at 6pm — the biggest regional lockdown we've yet seen. from midnight, up to two million people in most of the northeast of england will face new restrictions. there'll be a 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants, and strict rules for households. it follows a rise in the infection rate. it's spreading, really, isn't it, so if it saves it getting worse. you just have to obey the rules. it's not hard work, is it? everybody's yes, sir, no, sir, three bags full, sir. this country has gone to the dogs. and with another local lockdown coming into effect right now in wales, it means that, across the uk, more than nine million people face more restrictions because of the pandemic. also tonight:

the long wait for a test, and an even longer one for the result — just a third of tests at community sites come back within 2a hours. i don't think anybody was expecting to see the really sizeable increase in demand that we have seen over the course of the last few weeks. and this is what we're trying to avoid — we're in marseilles, an infection hotspot in france, where the hospitals are filling up. and the love story that was cut short so cruelly — the manchester bombing inquiry hears about the hopes and dreams of teenagers liam and chloe. and coming up on bbc news... packing his bags — gareth bale is set to fly to london tomorrow as his loan move back to tottenham is finalised.

good evening, and welcome to the bbc news at six. it is the biggest regional lockdown we've yet seen. from midnight, almost two million people in most of the north—east of england will see their movements and lifestyle restricted. the new lockdown measures will affect seven areas — northumberland, north tyneside, south tyneside, newcastle upon tyne, gateshead, sunderland and county durham. in those areas of the region, the new restrictions will mean there'll be a ban on socialising with people outside your own household or support bubble. there will be table service only in restaurants, and they, along with pubs and bars, must close by 10pm. matt hancock, the health secretary, said the government was acting after seeing concerning rates of infection in the region. it means that one in seven people across the uk now faces some kind of extra restriction to their lifestyle.

our special correspondent ed thomas reports. hello? hello, grandma, just to speak to you about the new lockdown rules and see what you think about it. lives are about to change once again. isolating people in and outside of home, i think it's crazy. we we re outside of home, i think it's crazy. we were told to eat out to help out and now we were told it is young people's fault, and it'sjust like what you want us to do, really? people's fault, and it'sjust like what you want us to do, really7fl is awful because it is so close but i can't see them. that's what gets us i can't see them. that's what gets us but i don't even want to think about it yet. nearly 2 million people are affected by these new rules across the north—east. for weeks, coronavirus cases in places like south shields have been rising, and at quicker rates. today, the health secretary tried to apply the brakes. data says that we must act now, so

brakes. data says that we must act now, so we can brakes. data says that we must act now, so we can control the virus and keep people safe. this means a ban on households mixing. it's horrible. onlyjust started on households mixing. it's horrible. only just started going on households mixing. it's horrible. onlyjust started going out a little bit. obviously will have an effect on your mental health, isn't it? of course, because i won't be able to see grandchildren, my great grandchildren. sean is on the phone to his grandma, she 69. from midnight, she can't see him or his children. i think issues will rise with mental health and other things. a massive distance to keep her safe but i have been doing that anyone. at the end of the day, i feel like she needs that. most here support the ban, but still there is confusion and worry. you can see other people in a bar but not be with your families in different houses and stuff. closing the pub is at ten o'clock as if the virus isn't existing any time prior to them closing. moved to northumberland,

and it is a quieter pace of life, with fewer cases of coronavirus, but the same rules apply here. and once again, three generations will be a part. how much do you rely on your support from your mum? massively, she is a great support system for me. so midnight tonight, everything changes. i know, again. it's not ideal. so i don't know why we have been included, no. but then, what can we do? one fear is that when thousands of stu d e nts one fear is that when thousands of students return to newcastle the virus will come with them, so bars and virus will come with them, so bars a nd restau ra nts virus will come with them, so bars and restaurants will now close at ten p m. with these new restrictions, what do you want to happen? i think i would rather have a full lockdown rather than a few restrictions. but i understand that would badly affect businesses. we don't know how long these measures will stay in place, public health officials say it is essential to stop the rise and protect the most

vulnerable. ed thomas, bbc news, newcastle. and our north of england correspondent fiona trott joins us from newcastle. fiona, no doubt this is going to be tough for a lot of people, but, as i understand it, the local authorities wa nted understand it, the local authorities wanted these restrictions? they were really pressing for this because they are concerned about the rapid rise in infections, and also a rise in the average age of people getting infected too. they said it was a real warning sign. they actually asked for more, they wanted more help with the media testing. 40,000 stu d e nts help with the media testing. 40,000 students are expected here in the next few weeks. we understand that hasn't been forthcoming. also reports today of over 100 people queueing outside a testing centre in sunderland, but no tests were available. the local authorities also asked for less. they didn't wa nt also asked for less. they didn't want friends or family involved in childcare arrangements to be included in that household rule, but they are. the local authorities

pressed for these measures because they don't want a full lockdown in this region, they can't afford one. it has the highest unemployment rate in the country. it is a difficult balancing act. the night—time economy he is worth £340 million in newcastle alone. fiona, thank you very much. in the last few minutes, a local lockdown has come into force, affecting almost a quarter of a million people, in south wales. those living in rhondda cynon taf aren't allowed to leave the area without good reason for at least a fortnight, and they're banned from seeing anyone indoors who's not from their own household. 0ur wales correspondent hywel griffiths is there for us now. george, yes, the lockdown is now in place, and so we have movejust outside the area. the road behind me goes all the way from the south to the north of rhondda cynon taf. people who live there can now no longer leave without a valid reason until at least the end of september.

this new lockdown comes into force on the same day that we have had the first new coronavirus—related deaths in wales for almost two weeks, a symptom some fear that a second wave of this pandemic may be coming. back to lockdown, afterjust a few weeks of freedom. coronavirus is once again spreading through this community, with clusters across the county. one is here in abercynon, where members of this social club went on a coach trip together to doncaster last week. donna's partner was on board. she says some of the group had been tested for covid just before the outing, but hadn't had the results. there was about 15 of them on the bus. they'd done the same as they'd done every year. they didn't take precautions, because nobody had covid, so you wouldn't take precautions. they had a bet, they had a pint — same as what happens every year. nothing was done any different. the spike in cases has triggered new, tougher rules — an 11pm curfew and a ban on meeting anyone not in your household indoors.

for sian, it's all deeply frustrating. she'd managed to bring all her our staff back from furlough, and even hire more workers, but now 30% of her bookings have cancelled. she blames the pubs who've not enforced social distancing. they'vejust been idiots, really, and spoiled it for everybody, because i'd say about 90% of businesses, 95% of businesses in the area, they're all really, really trying, and they're trying their hardest to do everything by the book, and then you have the minority that's spoiling it for everybody. while no—one is meant to leave here without good reason, some are being encouraged to arrive. a new university term starts at this campus on monday. students are being told it is safe to move in, even though most staff have to work from home. if we have fewer staff here, only essential staff on any one day at any one time, that makes the campus more socially distant,

and it's a way of helping to protect our students. this whole community will now be in lockdown until at least october. the fear is that could last even longer if cases continue to rise. hywel griffith, bbc news, pontypridd. dido harding, the head of the nhs test and trace programme, has been facing some tough questioning from mps today. it follows new figures, which show that only a third of tests carried out at community sites were processed within 24 hours in the week up to the 9th of september. that's the lowest turnaround rate sincejune. baroness harding said there was now more demand for tests than expected. 0ur health editor hugh pym has more. i will show you where to step. that's ok. sarah and her son are looking forward to a new member of the family. she is 41 weeks pregnant and was due to have an important midwife appointment but she had to postpone it as she had a cough and

needed a test, but couldn't get one on the official website. it's really important, just to put my mind at ease that everything 0k important, just to put my mind at ease that everything ok with the baby, and it's frustrating, you know, not knowing, not being able to get the care and not being able to get the care and not being able to get the care and not being able to get the test. i don't know how my care's going to proceed. paul, who isa care's going to proceed. paul, who is a teacher, has been trying and failing to book a test for members of his family. four days of trying to get testing and nothing at all, not even being offered testing 100 or 200 miles away, which at this stage i would take. if there was frustration for people at home, there was even more for those in sunderland, who secured a booking, arrived at the site, but found no sign ofany arrived at the site, but found no sign of any testing. it is an absolute joke i've had to bring my three kids out of school, they are 110w three kids out of school, they are now missing out on vital education because of covid—19 are not one person has turned up on the site. nobody here, so what do you do? so we just have to go back home and try again, i guess. it beggars belief.

it takes you ages to get an appointment, then you come and there isa car appointment, then you come and there is a car park full of people and they are not testing people. it's just ridiculous. elsewhere, though, some other testing stations like this one in west london appeared to be working normally. at this testing centre, people who have managed to get a booking are moving through. each morning, there is an allocation for those who haven't booked to just turn up, but people arrive very early and it goes quickly. 0ne turn up, but people arrive very early and it goes quickly. one of those who did get a slot here told us those who did get a slot here told us it had meant a long walk with her child. we had to get a home test, miss that this morning, they had gone by the time i filled it out, missed the more local ones. we have actually walked six miles to get here. in the commons, one cabinet minister gave his opinion. instead of this endless carting, saying it is difficult to get them we should actually celebrate this phenomenal success actually celebrate this phenomenal success of the british nation in getting up to a quarter of a million tests of a disease that nobody knew about until early in the air. the

head of test and trace in england was challenged by mps on my capacity hadn't kept up with demand. we have been adding testing capacity every day, every week over the last few weeks in anticipation. but not enough. well, plainly. as the prime minister said yesterday, plainly we don't have enough testing capacity today and we are doing everything in oui’ today and we are doing everything in our power to increase the testing capacity. the latest data for test turnaround times in england for the week ending september nine, showed that just 65% of week ending september nine, showed thatjust 65% of results were sent to people the next day, down from 89% the previous week, and only 33% within 24 hours. testing sites are operating, but slots are being limited because laboratories to analyse tests are overloaded, and ministers admit it could be a few weeks before that is dealt with. hugh pym, bbc news. well, the latest government figures show there were 3,395 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24 period. that means the average number of new cases reported per day

in the last week is 3,354. 21 deaths were reported of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test, and that means, on average in the last week, 14 deaths were announced every day, taking the total number, across the uk, to 41,705. so, new local lockdowns, rising infection rates and more hospital admissions. what are we to make of it all? and is the uk doing worse than other countries in europe? 0ur medical editor fergus walsh has this assessment. let's start by looking at the areas of the uk which are subject to extra restrictions, marked here in blue. by the end of the week, it's thought around 9 million people in the uk will be subject to extra controls. that's around one in seven people. it's all because of the rise

in cases across the uk. we are in a much better place than we were back in mid—april, when cases were peaking at over 5,000 every day. but that figure is completely unreliable because we weren't doing much testing in the community. it was probably more like 100,000 new cases every day. then cases fell until about mid—july and started to rise again. we are now seeing more than 3,000 cases every day, but that figure too is unreliable, because many people can't get a test. so it could be much higher. it's thought that cases are doubling in the uk every seven to ten days, and what matters is the effect that will have on hospitals. if we look at england, in early april up to 3,000 patients a day were being admitted to hospital with a confirmed covid diagnosis. the numbers now are much smaller, though at their highest level for two months.

we should expect patient numbers to rise as winter approaches. the key question, though, is by how much? mortality has dropped substantially. just one in 100 death certificates in england and wales now mention covid, the lowest level for six months. let's look at some european comparisons. spain and france have both seen a big resurgence in coronavirus cases, and an increase in hospitalisation. but nowhere near the level of the first peak. the uk government has warned the uk could be heading the same way, unless people follow social distancing guidelines. finally, an outlier, sweden, never imposed a compulsory lockdown and face masks are not recommended there in public places. they had a much higher death rate than their nordic neighbours in the first wave, but now their cases are staying low.

that is fergus walsh, and the time is 16 minutes past six. our top story this evening... the biggest and most comprehensive lockdown yet, as two million people in most of the northeast of england face new restrictions from midnight. ministers say many of those wanting tests don't have the symtoms tests don't have the symptoms of covid—19, so what exactly should we be looking out for if we feel unwell? coming up on sportsday on bbc news... we'll have the latest from the us open at winged foot in new york, where rory mcilroy has got off to a promising start. as we heard earlier, there's been a steep rise in coronavirus infections in france as well.

the director of public hospitals in the coastal city of marseille says wards are "nearing saturation". with only a handful of intensive care beds still available, staff are discussing the option of moving patients to other regions if necessary. marseille is at the heart of france's new wave of coronavirus infections, with more than 300 cases per 100,000 people since the beginning of september. our correspondent lucy williamson has been to an intensive care unit in the city's main hospital and her report contains some distressing images. marseille's main intensive care unit has become a changing room again. familiar routines resurrected for a new wave of covid patients. this time, it's a 65—year—old man on life support. they're putting a camera down his throat, one of the riskiestjobs. the ventilators on their suits purify the air inside their masks. these are the patients'

only visitors. his wife calls for news once or twice a day. she's not allowed in to see him. now it's becoming very disturbing because we're are stuck between the desire to treat the patient, of course, as best as possible, and also to treat non—covid patients in the appropriate way. that is, to find icu beds, to have surgery, to manage trauma patients and so on. so it's very difficult to manage. marseille is the epicentre of france's new covid crisis. the director of public hospitals here says the system is nearing saturation, with only a handful of intensive care beds left and 100 extra staff recruited in the past week. this icu, marseille's biggest, is now almost full. the nightmare for units like this one is a sudden rise in the rate of infections. this hospital is sending two covid patients to intensive care each day.

a sudden spike would overwhelm them. rates of infection in marseille are now twice that of paris. 0ver10% of those tested here are positive. at this centre today it was first come, first served. but getting a test isn't always easy. this woman told us she'd had symptoms since monday. translation: it's a panic, a real panic. it's stressful. there no appointments available on the government's testing website and the doctor's website tells me there's nothing until the end of september. the government today admitted there were bottlenecks in testing. translation: we have put in place a system to prioritise those with a prescription, symptoms, those who are care workers or in contact with cases. the rules in marseille are becoming stricter by the week. groups larger than ten are now banned from beaches and parks. the price of a post—lockdown summer when thousands

mingled here together. a summer that swapped isolation for infection now sending its waves out across france. lucy williamson, bbc news, marseille. care homes in england are set to receive more than £500 million in extra government funding to help them tackle the coronavirus over this winter. the money will help pay staff full wages when they are self—isolating, reduce their use of public transport, and ensure staff work in only one care home. 0ur social affairs correspondent alison holt reports. for doreen amos, these warm september days are a chance to enjoy the garden at pelham house care home in folkestone before the chill of winter. it is, yes. i love lavender. the home lost ten people — half its residents — at the height of the pandemic. it cares for those with dementia, and now covid—free, it's trying

to make life as normal as possible for doreen and others. it's very relaxing, yes, and i'm quite happy. and the meals are good and i've got a nice room. today's announcement of extra infection control money is to ensure staff are paid a full wage if they have to self—isolate and to limit the use of agency workers. the aim is to protect care homes from another wave of the virus, already a worry for many. with the flu... and even in the winter every other year, the hospitals are full up, so now with this on top, i'm terrified. absolutely terrified. for karen, the home's relief manager, better testing is the highest priority. last week, we were tested on a friday and got the results the following friday. so, for that whole week, everybody is on tenterhooks the whole time, not knowing whether they've actually got it, because the first

time around, a lot of us were asymptomatic so didn't even know we'd got it. the high number of deaths in care homes has, not surprisingly, had a huge impact. many care staff will say they're still exhausted, they've had little time to grieve and there's nervousness about what lies ahead. the government will publish its winter support plan for social care tomorrow. many care providers say more medical and financial support are essential to help them cope this winter. with fewer residents, pelham house has had to take out a last—minute business loan to survive — its owner sceptical about whether ministers will provide the help they need. we certainly could do with more practical help and support, and i think we still feel, actually, that there is a disparity between where we are and what we need and perhaps what the government says and what it does. the government says it's making testing care staff a priority and that,

from the start of the pandemic, it's been doing everything it can to protect care home residents and staff. alison holt, bbc news. new restrictions have been announced for travellers returning to england and scotland from slovenia and guadalupe. they will now have to self—isolate for 14 days from 4am on saturday. meanwhile quarantine has been lifted for people in england and scotland arriving from thailand and scotland arriving from thailand and singapore following a decrease in covid—19 cases in those countries. every river and body of water in england has failed to meet new stricter chemical pollution standards — that's according to the environment agency. the last time the figures were published, four years ago, 16% of waterways were considered to be in good health, but the new standards mean none have passed, casting doubt on england's ability to met eu targets set for 2027. for days now, at the manchester bombing inquiry we've

been hearing emotional, heart—wrenching and sometimes angry tributes and testaments from the families and friends of those who were killed that day in may 2017. today is no exception. the families of liam curry and chloe rutherford came together to talk of the teenage couple's love for one another, and the life they had planned together. 0ur north of england correspondent judith moritz reports. manchester wears its history on its skin. you see references to the arena attack all over the city, not an easy place to visit for those hurt and bereaved. but each day, they come to pay tribute to those they've lost. the parents of chloe rutherford and liam curry together, to tell the court a love story. she was hisjuliet and he her romeo. chloe and liam were teenage sweethearts. they dated for three years and planned to marry

and have children — their families deprived of all that. trying to make sense out of something that will never, ever make sense. how do we make the world turn again? how do you mend our shattered hearts? they wanted to be together forever, and now they are. simon callander is another parent who's grieving and angry. she's my daughter. she was someone. his daughter, georgina, another teenager who was ticking off milestones, with a bright future all mapped out. all that potential snatched away by an evil person who didn't even know or care about my little girl. i hope he rots in the deepest, darkest parts of hell. these are families whose loss is still raw. their tributes are obviously painful. but somehow, they've been finding the strength to give them and even to come to court and listen to other families and support them through the process.

philip tron‘s mum and uncle brought his photo with them as they played their tribute to the court. philip was a family—loving guy who had a huge personality. philip had a bit of a swagger about him and, having a good sense of humour, he was also a bit of a joker. his mum, june, was in a bad place for many months after the bombing. she believed that she was living in a parallel world or existence that she would wake up from and phil would be there. each of those who died has a story to be told. the tributes are known as "pen portraits", and more families will make the journey to give them next week. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. the government has said a significant part of the spike in demand for coronavirus testing is from people who don't have symptoms of covid—19. but as we approach the annual season of sniffles and sneezes, how can we be sure if our symptoms are from a cold, the flu, or, in fact, the coronavirus?

here's our health correspondent sophie hutchinson. autumn is almost upon us and already a whole range of viruses are circulating. so when do you need to get tested? the official symptoms for covid—19 are a fever — that's a temperature of 37.8 degrees celsius or above — a new continuous cough — that's coughing a lot for an hour or more or having three coughing fits within 24 hours — and a loss of taste or smell, or that things taste or smell different. but some parents have found it difficult to know whether their children have symptoms. 0ne confusing factor is that while the official covid—19 symptoms seemed to work for 18 to 65—year—olds, some scientists and doctors say they don't necessarily work for children and older people. for example, many children don't get a cough, and older people,

while seeming unwell, might not have any obvious covid—19 symptoms at all. the scientists behind this covid—19 symptoms tracker app says people don't need to err on the side of caution. there's many more cases of cold around than there are of covid. and i think for people are unsure whether they have the classical symptoms of cold or not, they should probably assume it's more likely to be a cold and just wait and see how that develops without overburdening the testing system. it's important that if you have a tight chest or are finding it hard to breathe, you contact a doctor. but if your symptoms are sneezing, a runny nose, which is perhaps making you cough a bit, the likelihood is that you've got a cold and you don't need to be tested. and the government says the best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands, keep a safe distance and wear a face mask when required.

sophie hutchinson, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's nick miller. for those enjoying this, more on the way tomorrow. we don't all have the sea view but the sunshine will be back. settled weather with high pressure, though on the southern flank of the high for england and wales you will notice the wind picking up. the further south you are across the uk it keeps temperatures of even those guys will be clear. there will be cloud filtering in, and the chance of rain in the far north of scotland. a weak weather front but temperatures holding up too. down to four or 5 degrees in some spots. a lovely day on the way tomorrow, the sunshine will be hazy in places. still a chance of seeing some light rain in the far north of scotland but the vast majority will be dry. it will

bea vast majority will be dry. it will be a little windier with cost up