Households in the city and nearby Sandwell and Solihull are banned from mixing as cases rise.

We're about to wrap up our live coverage of today's coronavirus restrictions announcement, but further updates this evening will be included in this story.

And here's a look back at the main points:

• From Tuesday, people in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull will not be allowed to mix with other households, unless they are in a support bubble
• The rules apply to meetings inside homes and in gardens and to meetings "outside the boundaries" of these areas
• This does not apply to places of work, schools or childcare
• Birmingham City Council confirmed friends and family could still go out to shops, restaurants and other venues, in a maximum group of six from more than one household, but told people to be "vigilant"
• The action has been taken because of the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases in these areas

Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

It came as a bit of a shock that senior NHS leaders in the West Midlands region had a meeting yesterday where they discussed implementing a vaccine by the middle of October.

In Herefordshire and Worcestershire they were talking about 164,000 doses over a period of 14 weeks. And in Staffordshire they were talking about 600,000 doses.

How can this happen? We don't know.

They've actually been manufacturing these vaccines as they go along, trying to get the approval for the vaccines, and I understand that Staffordshire's Keele University is one of the sites.

But it's probably not that feasible, because there could well be hiccups with the vaccines themselves and there's also a logistical problem. They've got to get through all the flu vaccines before then.

While announcing the new measures today, Clive Wright, from the Department of Health and Social Care, said we were now at a "critical point" in Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell.

And while there is a commitment to review the numbers, there has been no indication on when these restrictions might be lifted.

But looking at other areas where similar restrictions were introduced, you might expect the restrictions to remain for some time.

A local lockdown was introduced in Leicester in June and while it has been announced today they will be eased to allow all businesses to operate again, it still has a ban on people meeting in each other's homes and gardens.

While it's not yet subject to the same extra measures as Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull, Stoke on Trent remains on the government's watchlist as "an area of concern".

This means local authorities there are being asked to "take additional actions to manage outbreaks and reduce community spread of the virus to more normal levels".

The Department of Health suggests this might include additional testing, extra efforts to spell out the importance of social distancing and hand hygiene and more work to identify exactly where the outbreaks are occurring.

According to the latest statistics, Stoke-on-Trent has 26.9 cases per 100,000 people, putting the local authority 88th on the list of 317 in England.

Student Bella Stanley, who will be living with five others, says she is disappointed about the tougher lockdown measures in Birmingham, but added: "I completely understand."

The 21-year-old third-year student, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, will move back to the city in a week's time for her international relations course at the University of Birmingham.

She said: "I feel like I'm getting my degree from my bedroom.

"I'd rather people be safe... but I'd been looking forward to seeing friends all summer.

"[It's] my birthday coming up. It'll be like a Zoom call."

As it stands, lectures are online and seminars in person, Bella said.

But the Tesco worker, whose year in California got cancelled, believes sharing accommodation with friends would help to keep her motivated, adding: "We can still have fun."

BBC Midlands

We've had a variety of responses from people in Birmingham city centre this afternoon, to the news tougher coronavirus restrictions are being imposed.

One woman told us: "It's all been blown out of proportion a little bit."

But a man who was also out shopping said: "If all these young kids stopped going around the town centre, and just stick to the rules, we should be alright."

Image source, Getty Images

And some thought the existing restrictions are being complied with.

Another man told us: "There are obviously the select few big gatherings like the raves, which is wrong, but the majority is doing very well."

People in Birmingham have reacted to new and increased lockdown restrictions in the city.

A lot of people on social media are pointing to what they see as a double-standard in these new restrictions, because people can't gather at homes, but can in pubs, restaurants and other venues.

On the BBC Midlands Facebook page , externalCraig Cocking wrote: "You can still go to pubs, gyms, indoor play areas, work, school etc etc, but not meet any family or friends. This is ridiculous."

And Claire Avery commented: "Yeah go to the pub! Come on we all know the virus drops to the floor wherever there’s money being spent."

Image source, Getty Images

But, while he accepted this seems a "bit odd", the Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward said there was a good reason for this.

He said: "The reason for this difference is the data and information is telling us it's household gatherings together in one home where they are spreading the virus. When you go to the pub or restaurant, a risk assessment will be done."

And the city council also pointed out "In shops and hospitality venues there are strict measures in place to ensure they are Covid-safe, whereas it is much easier to inadvertently pass on the virus in someone’s house."

People who visited a restaurant in Solihull are being urged to get tested after 25 people tested positive for Covid-19.

Image source, Google

Public Health England said, external Esabella's, in Warwick Road, had closed voluntarily on Wednesday for seven days so it could be deep cleaned.

Customers are being told to get tested if they visited the restaurant between 28 August and 6 September.

New lockdown measures have been announced for Solihull following a spike in cases., external

People are raising all sorts of points about the new coronavirus restrictions now, and there's a real debate happening on Twitter.

And there is also a fair amount of blame for the situation being thrown around and young people are getting a lot of that.

Image source, Sean Madden

But Sean Madden, from Birmingham, tweeted: "Wrong to ascribe blame for the Birmingham lockdown to young people who are more likely to have been working, to use public transport and live in shared housing."

He said they were the "backbone of the government's attempts to reopen the economy".

Rob England
BBC News

The rate of coronavirus infection in Birmingham has risen again, to 90.3 per 100,000 people, the latest figures show.

That's a big leap from the figure of 35.9 the previous week.

But Birmingham has gone from second place in the England league table to seventh, because five other areas have recorded even worse figures.

Solihull has also slipped down the table, to 20th, but its rate of cases per 100,000 has also risen, to 68.4.

David Gregory-Kumar
Science correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

Has the simple message about washing hands, wearing a mask and socially distancing just worn off?

Now we face extra local lockdown rules for Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.

Preventing households from mixing is designed to tackle the spread of the virus through neighbourhoods, which seems to be the issue rather than a virus outbreak based around a pub or factory.

And as cases have risen, so too have the number of people in hospitals.

A number that could double in just seven days if these new measures don't stop the spread of the virus.

People in Birmingham from more than one household and in a group no bigger than six can still go together to shops, restaurants and other venues under new lockdown measures, the city council's leader has confirmed.

Image source, Getty Images

There had been some confusion after the council's leader Ian Ward initially said people could not go with other households.

But the authority has since clarified people can go in a maximum group of six from different households but should "stay vigilant".

Mr Ward said data showed "the infection rate has risen mainly due to social interactions, particularly private household gatherings".

Under the new rules from Tuesday, people are banned from meeting others who are not in their household or support bubble, indoors or in private gardens.

A pet shop owner whose business boomed as he stayed open during the pandemic has questioned whether lockdown should have been loosened in the first place.

Paul Beresford, of Erdington Pet Centre, in Birmingham, said: "I do understand that they had to get things going but I think opening things gradually may have been a problem.

"I'm not really surprised by these new restrictions. I think people have probably been holding events that they shouldn't have been.

"It's important that the message is clear because I think it's been very confusing for some people."

Paul spoke to the BBC in May as we met independent shopkeepers who had stayed open during lockdown.

The GP and former mayor of Sandwell, Ann Jaron, is not surprised to see the rise in coronavirus cases.

She said: "All GPs know as soon as schools go back after the summer the number of infections in the community rockets. I thought it was quite likely Covid would do the same."

And she added: "We need some severe restrictions. I just hope they don’t close the schools. It looks like they are going to do as much as they can to keep them open."

Image source, Sandwell Council

She also reported that from what she had seen, it was people around the age of 20 that were reporting the greatest number of cases.

And she said: "People are confused by the measures. I don’t really see a difference between sitting down a table at home or at some establishment."

But at the same time, she said she appreciated these businesses need to be allowed to trade if they were to keep going.

The manager of Birmingham Southside Business Improvement District said she hoped the new guidelines would boost custom at the area's bars and restaurants.

Julia Robinson said: "I think if anything, it could actually boost restaurants and the bar trade.

"If people can’t socialise at home they are more likely to come out."

Announcing the rules, Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward said: “I understand that it may be frustrating that you can go to the pub but not see your family, but the data we have shows that the infection rate has risen mainly due to social interactions, particularly private household gatherings.

"In shops and hospitality venues there are strict measures in place to ensure they are Covid-safe, whereas it is much easier to inadvertently pass on the virus in someone’s house where people are more relaxed and less vigilant."

University students won't be stopped from coming to Birmingham despite new lockdown measures being announced for the city from Tuesday.

Image source, Birmingham City University

Thousands are expected to start returning to the city's five universities in the coming weeks.

City council leader Ian Ward said there were no current plans to postpone the start of the academic year.

The Labour councillor told a West Midlands Combined Authority media briefing it was important they resumed their education but should follow guidelines when out in pubs and bars.

"Please make sure that if you have a drink you continue to follow the social distancing guidance, you continue to keep yourself safe, you wash your hands regularly and you follow all of the rules and guidance at the establishments that you are visiting.”

A healthcare assistant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham said the new rules would not change her situation, as she has remained under lockdown to protect her mother, despite restrictions easing.

Sarah Link and her husband bought a caravan on the day the lockdown began and moved out of their home so her mother, 84, could stay in the house.

They are still inside the caravan and she said they would be remaining there "for the foreseeable".

Her main concern, she said, was how the rise in cases would affect the ward she works on, which has been treating Covid-19 patients.

Image source, Sarah Link

Community champions are going to be used in Solihull to try to bring the rate of Covid-19 cases down, according to the area's director of public health.

Ruth Tennant said the area had seen a big jump in cases this month, with 165 since the start of September compared to 84 in the whole of August.

She said they were using people with high-viz jackets out in communities to ask people if they knew what they should be doing to protect themselves from the virus.

"I think it is really about working with communities and not sending out a really strong presence, a sort of enforcement presence," she said.

"Obviously there are occasions we may need that and we will use it, but I think we've got to be really working with people and look for collective solutions to what is a really, really difficult nut to crack."