The city of Birmingham will experience another round of lockdown from next Tuesday, after COVID-19 cases exploded.

Under the new rule, people will be banned from mixing with anyone outside their own household.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street announced the measure on behalf of the Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

The statement was titled: ‘Ban on household mixing in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull’.

Seven people are fighting for their lives in intensive care with the disease and 68 are on wards at the Queen Elizabeth and Heartlands NHS hospitals, according to local reports.

And hundreds are testing positive for the virus every week, meaning many could be just days away from needing hospital care.

The mayor said Friday: ‘The following areas will now be escalated to an area of national intervention, with a ban on people socialising with people outside their own household.

‘The ban will take effect from Tuesday 15th September, but residents are advised to avoid household mixing before then as it has been identified as one of the drivers of transmission.’

He added the bans applied to the whole of Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull, according to Daily Maill.