Care homes across the North East of England have begun restricting visitors in a bid to keep their residences safe as the coronavirus cases rise across the UK.
Council chiefs in Newcastle, Gateshead, and South Tyneside are understood to have written to care homes in the last week asking them to stop visits.
It comes after Boris Johnson warned the nation that the virus is beginning to spread rapidly again, with the government limiting social gatherings in England to six people from Monday.
Care homes closed to visitors at the peak of the pandemic but families had been able to visit again since July. Last night Newcastle Council wrote to providers asking them close their doors as a precaution.