Britain’s health secretary Matt Hancock announced new measures to combat a second wave of dreaded coronavirus disease on Monday.

 “We’ve taken this action having seen the rise in the number of cases in the last couple of days knowing the people who are catching the virus are catching it from social circles,” Mr. Hancock said at a press briefing in London.

Part of the new rules, Mr. Hancock said, will restrict social gatherings to just six people at a place. However, schools, workplaces and other limited events like weddings and funerals are exempted.

The UK has been heavily hit since the beginning of the global pandemic. Nearly 400,000 cases have been confirmed, out of which over 40,000 people have died.

The number of confirmed cases in England rose sharply between September 3 and 9, indicating a 167% jump when compared to figures obtained at the end August 2020, per the UK NHS.

New surges in coronavirus cases could force the British government to implement another round of lockdown, raising fears about the country’s economy.