Coronavirus: Caerphilly and Bolton are placed under stricter rules

Community testing was introduced in Caerphilly over the weekend before the local lockdown announcement

The Welsh county of Caerphilly will enter a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases.

The Welsh government announced on Monday evening that from 6pm on Tuesday, people living in the area will not be able to leave or enter unless they have good reason for doing so.

The rise in cases has been linked to groups of people meeting indoors, residents going on holidays abroad, and people failing to follow social distancing rules.

Caerphilly is the first county in Wales to be placed under a local lockdown.

But it's not the first place in the UK to face tougher rules. For example, the town of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, already had tighter measures in place, and they've been made even stricter now too.

How will the local lockdown affect people in Caerphilly?

Some schools have had to close due to coronavirus cases

Under the new restrictions, people in Caerphilly will not be able to travel outside the county without a good reason.

People who have to travel to work and aren't able to work from home, care givers and those making a compassionate visit to a loved one, won't be prevented from doing so by the restrictions.

Meeting with friends, extended households and other families indoors will no longer be allowed, although people will still be able to meet outside. There's also a ban on people spending the night at other houses.

"We need the help of everyone in Caerphilly borough to prevent the increasing and onward spread of coronavirus. We can only bring this local outbreak under control if everyone pulls together and follows these new steps," said the country's health minister Vaughan Gething.

People over the age of 11 will have to wear face coverings when going into shops

Those aged 11 and over will be required to wear face coverings in shops.

Schools, pubs and restaurants in the area will all stay open.

The measures will be reviewed regularly by the Welsh government and it may introduce "further steps to bring this local outbreak under control" if the number of cases in the area continue to rise.

Even stricter rules in Bolton

Stricter rules were already in place in Bolton after a rise in cases, and now those rules have been made even tougher.

The aim is to try and lower the number of coronavirus cases there.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said: "Unfortunately, after improving for several weeks, we've seen a very significant rise in case in Bolton."

He explained that the town in Greater Manchester had "the highest case rate in the country".

The rise in cases has been linked to people in their 20s and 30s socialising.

Similar measures have previously been taken in other parts of the UK including Aberdeen, Leicester, and the North West of England.

Do you live in either Caerphilly or Bolton? How do you feel about these stricter measures? Let us know in the comments.