Meanwhile, other parts of England will move into Tier 2 from Saturday.
More areas of England will join London in moving to Tier 2 of England's lockdown restrictions, the health secretary has said.
Speaking in the Commons, Matt Hancock said those also moving into the "high risk" category at 12.01am on Saturday are:
Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world
Southend and Thurrock in Essex are not included in the new measures because they are unitary authorities.
Furious leaders in the North West have slammed plans to put Greater Manchester into Tier 3 lockdowns as "flawed" and said they would not agree to any such measure without increased financial support.
Infection rates there remain among some of the highest in England. Mr Hancock told MPs he wanted to see "rapid progress" on the discussions.
Neighbouring Liverpool City Region is already under Tier 3 restrictions and MPs in Lancashire have told Sky News they have been informed the area is staying in Tier 2 for now.
Meanwhile, London's mayor Sadiq Khan has said the capital will go into Tier 2 at midnight on Friday.
He told Sky News that he agrees with scientists, who have warned the government that regional lockdowns will not be enough to control the virus and that a two-week national lockdown would be a better option.
Tier 2 restrictions mean people cannot meet other households socially indoors - whether at home or at other venues such as pubs.
The "rule of six" still applies in outdoor settings - as it does all over the country, and people are advised to "reduce the number of journeys where possible".
In Essex, the county council welcomed the moved to Tier Two, after having pushed for it earlier this week.
Council leader David Finch said: "We think the government has decided correctly, guided by the science and the fact is that the number of cases in Essex is rising exponentially."
He acknowledged these are "difficult times for individuals, businesses and communities" but said he had "a duty of care to the people of Essex".
The MP for York Central, Labour's Rachael Maskell, also welcomed the move.
But she asked Mr Hancock why he had not gone further given "there are areas of the country in Tier 3 with a lower infection rate".
The health secretary said he would continue discussions over measures in the Yorkshire city.
Mr Hancock doubled down on his local approach to imposing restrictions in the Commons, dismissing Labour's call for a national "circuit breaker" lockdown.
He said decisions had been made with a "heavy heart" and have the sole aim of "steering our nation through troubled waters".
Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) special envoy for the global COVID-19 response, has told Sky News that the UK needs to "sort out test, trace and isolate".
He said: "There are many who say if you go in for a lockdown now, how are you going to be able to come out after two weeks, because this virus isn't going to go away.
"The only way you can get rid of it, is by a very simple process of finding people with the disease and isolating them, finding their contacts and isolating them and then protecting the people who are most at risk.
He added that his request to decision makers was "very straight forward".
"Sort out test, trace and isolate, and have a really strong communication programme, so that everybody in the country knows the basics about mask wearing, physical distancing, hygiene and keeping out the way when you get sick and make sure that things work well at local level.
"This is a really punitive thing to do, to put Britain back in lockdown, even for two weeks, and so I would like to suggest that decision makers actually sort out these problems, rather than say it's too difficult, we can't do it, we've spent a lot of money on it, but it's not working, so we'll have to go back into lockdown.
Mr Nabarro also said the UK "has the potential to be absolutely brilliant".
He said: "I do not believe that the UK should see that it's in the bottom of the league table.
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"I do think there are other countries - I don't really want to mention them - in western Europe and North America that are not looking good at the moment.
"But I have big hopes for Britain and I have big hopes for other countries that have a history of doing good quality public health."
But he also claimed that the UK could "learn from countries in East Asia".
He continued: "From Singapore, from South Korea, from Vietnam and other parts as well."
More areas of England will join London in moving to Tier 2 of England's lockdown restrictions, the health secretary has said.
Speaking in the Commons, Matt Hancock said those also moving into the "high risk" category at 12.01am on Saturday are:
Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world
Southend and Thurrock in Essex are not included in the new measures because they are unitary authorities.
Furious leaders in the North West have slammed plans to put Greater Manchester into Tier 3 lockdowns as "flawed" and said they would not agree to any such measure without increased financial support.
Infection rates there remain among some of the highest in England. Mr Hancock told MPs he wanted to see "rapid progress" on the discussions.
Neighbouring Liverpool City Region is already under Tier 3 restrictions and MPs in Lancashire have told Sky News they have been informed the area is staying in Tier 2 for now.
Meanwhile, London's mayor Sadiq Khan has said the capital will go into Tier 2 at midnight on Friday.
He told Sky News that he agrees with scientists, who have warned the government that regional lockdowns will not be enough to control the virus and that a two-week national lockdown would be a better option.
Tier 2 restrictions mean people cannot meet other households socially indoors - whether at home or at other venues such as pubs.
The "rule of six" still applies in outdoor settings - as it does all over the country, and people are advised to "reduce the number of journeys where possible".
In Essex, the county council welcomed the moved to Tier Two, after having pushed for it earlier this week.
Council leader David Finch said: "We think the government has decided correctly, guided by the science and the fact is that the number of cases in Essex is rising exponentially."
He acknowledged these are "difficult times for individuals, businesses and communities" but said he had "a duty of care to the people of Essex".
The MP for York Central, Labour's Rachael Maskell, also welcomed the move.
But she asked Mr Hancock why he had not gone further given "there are areas of the country in Tier 3 with a lower infection rate".
The health secretary said he would continue discussions over measures in the Yorkshire city.
Mr Hancock doubled down on his local approach to imposing restrictions in the Commons, dismissing Labour's call for a national "circuit breaker" lockdown.
He said decisions had been made with a "heavy heart" and have the sole aim of "steering our nation through troubled waters".
Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) special envoy for the global COVID-19 response, has told Sky News that the UK needs to "sort out test, trace and isolate".
He said: "There are many who say if you go in for a lockdown now, how are you going to be able to come out after two weeks, because this virus isn't going to go away.
"The only way you can get rid of it, is by a very simple process of finding people with the disease and isolating them, finding their contacts and isolating them and then protecting the people who are most at risk.
He added that his request to decision makers was "very straight forward".
"Sort out test, trace and isolate, and have a really strong communication programme, so that everybody in the country knows the basics about mask wearing, physical distancing, hygiene and keeping out the way when you get sick and make sure that things work well at local level.
"This is a really punitive thing to do, to put Britain back in lockdown, even for two weeks, and so I would like to suggest that decision makers actually sort out these problems, rather than say it's too difficult, we can't do it, we've spent a lot of money on it, but it's not working, so we'll have to go back into lockdown.
Mr Nabarro also said the UK "has the potential to be absolutely brilliant".
He said: "I do not believe that the UK should see that it's in the bottom of the league table.
:: Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
"I do think there are other countries - I don't really want to mention them - in western Europe and North America that are not looking good at the moment.
"But I have big hopes for Britain and I have big hopes for other countries that have a history of doing good quality public health."
But he also claimed that the UK could "learn from countries in East Asia".
He continued: "From Singapore, from South Korea, from Vietnam and other parts as well."
Meanwhile, other parts of England will move into Tier 2 from Saturday.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has accused the government of treating the region as a "sacrificial lamb" and vowed: "We aren't going to be pushed around anymore."
Leaders in Greater Manchester have rejected being put into the highest category of the government's new three-tier system for localised COVID-19 restrictions, amid a bitter political row.
A call between Greater Manchester leaders and Downing Street officials failed to reach an agreement on new restrictions on Thursday.
And, after those inconclusive talks, Mr Burnham revealed: "Today we communicated our clear and unanimous view to the government.
"It is wrong to place some of the poorest parts of England in a punishing lockdown without proper support for the people and businesses affected."
In an outspoken attack on the government's new localised lockdown system, Mr Burnham accused ministers of treating Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region and Lancashire as "the canaries in the coalmine" for the "experimental" strategy.
Urging the government to pursue a different course and consider a return to stringent England-wide restrictions, the Greater Manchester mayor said: "I've said it may be that we need to look at a national circuit-break as preferable to this unfunded, risky regional lockdown strategy.
"We have to protect the health of the nation but let's do it as one nation, and not make the North of England the sacrificial lamb for an ill-thought-through Downing Street policy which doesn't make sense in the real world."
He added the government was "treating us with contempt", adding: "People are fed up of being treated in this way, the North is fed up of being pushed around.
"We aren't going to be pushed around anymore."
Her Majesty visited the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory near Salisbury, Wiltshire today with her grandson Prince William. During the visit to the high-level science laboratory, the Queen and William did not wear face coverings, sparking a huge row on social media about whether they were correctly following the Government’s coronavirus rules. Scores of Twitter users criticised the Monarch for not wearing a face mask during her visit.
Due to the backlash, the Palace was forced to issue a response.
A spokeswoman for the Palace clarified the Queen had sought expert advice over the issue before visiting Porton Down today.
The statement read: “Specific advice has been sought from the medical household and relevant parties, and all necessary precautions taken, working closely with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory."
Staff at Porton were also seen to not be wearing masks during today’s event.
However, all had been tested for coronavirus which had all subsequently returned as negative.
Today’s visit was Her Majesty’s first since March following the outbreak of the virus.
She was joined by Prince William today as the two opened the new Energetics Centre at the laboratory.
They were also shown a range of weapons and technology involved with intelligence operations.
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Due to his retirement from royal duties, Philip had been living in Norfolk but was soon moved to join his wife.
The pair did eventually travel to their usual summer residence of Balmoral after restrictions were lifted.
However, after six weeks on Aberdeenshire estate, the pair moved to Sandringham in September.
They allegedly moved due to life on Balmoral becoming boring due to certain restrictions.
An insider told The Daily Telegraph: “It was a bit tedious at times – not just for the staff, but the royals themselves.
“Balmoral can sometimes be a little hard going, but coronavirus made things even more difficult.
“There was quite a lot of time spent sat around, twiddling thumbs.”
Ahead of Christmas, the family is now working to draw up a plan of how best to celebrate the festive period within the Government’s guidelines.
Meanwhile, other parts of England will move into Tier 2 from Saturday.
