It was November 5 when England was plunged into a national lockdown in a bid to halt the second wave of coronavirus.
The Government has returned to its message of ‘stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives’, with similar restrictions in force to those faced in the original shutdown in March.
The Prime Minister said if no action was taken the NHS would be ‘overwhelmed’ as Covid-19 cases and deaths began to rise further.
As a result, non-essential services and businesses have been forced to close, including pubs and restaurants.
Those who break the current rules, from failing to isolate to meeting anyone not in your household in an indoor setting, face being hit with a heavy fine.
Businesses who ignore the measures after being ordered to shut their doors due to national restrictions risk being fined up to £10,000.
So how have North East residents and businesses been behaving during lockdown 2.0?
There have been scores of calls to councils and police across the region reporting alleged breaches of lockdown restrictions.
A total of 90 reports have been made in local authorities in Newcastle, Durham and South Tyneside alone since November 5.
Following the introduction of the new measures, there have been 43 reports of businesses continuing to trade across County Durham.
Durham County Council said it is investigating the accusations and will take action if necessary.
Owen Cleugh, public protection manager at Durham County Council, said: “We are pleased that we have found the vast majority of businesses are complying with the rules, and by doing so, they are helping to protect our communities from coronavirus.
“We know this is an incredibly difficult time and would urge business owners to visit www.durham.gov.uk/covid19businessgrants to find out more about the support on offer.”
In Newcastle, as of Wednesday, there had been 27 allegations made in regards to Covid-19 breaches within commercial premises.
The allegations have yet to be substantiated with it currently unclear on what rules, if any, have been breached.
Newcastle City Council is urging everyone to follow the regulations to “protect our city” against coronavirus.
A spokesman said: “Since the very beginning of the pandemic, residents and businesses across Newcastle have largely complied very well with the changing regulations and we are grateful for their efforts.