THE Government has been accused of “incompetence” after advising against all but essential travel in eight areas of England where the Covid variant first identified in India is spreading fastest.

Officials said areas including Kirklees, Bolton, Leicester, and the London borough of Hounslow were hardest hit and people there should not meet indoors.

People should avoid travelling into and out of the eight areas, with Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and North Tyneside also on the list. People in the eight areas should also be tested twice a week, according to the Government advice.

The change to the guidance – which is not law – appears to have been made on Friday without an official announcement, prompting some criticism.

Newly-elected West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said the change could cause “anxiety and confusion”.

Ms Brabin said she would raise the matter urgently with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi on Tuesday.

She tweeted: “If Govt are concerned we need clear guidance and support not advice that could cause anxiety and confusion.”

And Ms Brabin told BBC Breakfast today that she expects Health Secretary Matt Hancock to explain to Parliament what is happening with the new guidance.

She said: “It’s another example of the Government doing to us without working with us.

“It’s caused a lot of confusion. We were only alerted to it by journalists last night, late last night.”

Ms Brabin said she would be meeting Nadhim Zahawi this morning, and added: “I’m expecting Matt Hancock to come to the Houses of Parliament to explain what’s actually going on.”

“Unfortunately this is yet another example of the Government and their chaotic response to Covid,” she said.

“We know that during this pandemic our councils have worked absolutely tirelessly to deliver for our communities. But, if we have an issue here, we need Government to be working with us, not causing more chaos.”

Asked if this is a step towards a return to tiers, Ms Brabin said: “If it is, we would like to know. This is part of the problem. We don’t know how to respond. We don’t know what to advise our citizens.

“One wonders whether we should be taking this seriously at all.”

Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East and shadow international development minister, said: “I was not informed of this and I understand nor was anyone else in Bolton.

“I’m just gobsmacked. They’re making such an important announcement and they don’t even have the decency to tell us or tell our constituents.

“This is typical of this Government’s incompetence.”

Layla Moran, chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, said updating the guidance without a proper announcement “is a recipe for confusion and uncertainty”.

“Local people and public health leaders in these areas need urgent clarity from the Government. Matt Hancock must come before Parliament and make a public statement to explain these new rules,” she said.

Meanwhile, quarantine requirements will reportedly be maintained for those who come into contact with positive cases after June 21 even if they have received both doses of the vaccine.

The Daily Telegraph said this could mean the nearly 23 million people who have had both doses could be forced to isolate for 10 days if contacted by the NHS, adding a negative test would not allow an early end to quarantine.

Separately, the Government will be facing an urgent question from Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth on Covid-19 on Tuesday.

A Government spokesman said: “Working with local authorities, we took swift and decisive action to slow the spread of the B1.617.2 (India) variant by introducing surge testing and bringing forward second doses of the vaccine for the most vulnerable.

“We provided additional guidance for those living in affected areas when we became aware of the risk posed by the variant, to encourage people to take an extra cautious approach when meeting others or travelling.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said she was “surprised” to hear that MPs in areas impacted by new guidance around the Indian variant did not feel properly informed.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Coffey said: “The Prime Minister set out that we need to take extra caution in certain areas regarding the Indian variant.

“It is good practice to formally put that guidance on the record affecting those communities.

“We have been working in close contact, so I’m surprised to hear that people think this has come out of the blue – it hasn’t.

“It is about formalising on the record the guidance which we believe people can and should follow in order to make sure we tackle and don’t have more spread of the Indian variant.”