New coronavirus infections reached an average of 6,000 in England each day during the first week of September according to the latest figures. Public Health England highlighted dramatic increases in new coronavirus cases across several areas of the UK. But which local authorities have been highlighted as at risk of lockdown?
Coronavirus restrictions were tightened in parts of northeast England, West Yorkshire and the Midlands.
The new measures were prompted by a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
Coronavirus infections are now doubling every seven to eight days.
The R rate which measures the speed of the COVID-19 transmission and the average number of people an average person with the virus is likely to pass it on to now stands at 1.1 to 1.4 in the UK according to the latest reports.
The latest Public Health England weekly surveillance report shows the spread of the virus has increased across the country.
Cases remain highest across the North West and Yorkshire and Humber.
There have been 64,308 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the outbreak, with a rate of 876 per 100,000 people in the North West.
In Yorkshire and Humber, there have been 41,659 cases so far with a rate of 757 per 100,000 people.
New cases of coronavirus could be hitting 6,000 a day in England according to recent Office for National Statistics data.
The ONS found infection rates were higher in the North West and London, based on random testing of thousands of people in households.
There was a “clear evidence” of a rise in positive tests in the under-35 age group.
The rate increased from an average of 3,200 people a day for the period from August 30 to September 5.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK is facing a “very serious situation” and will not rule out a second lockdown.
Mr Hancock told Sky News: “The last line of defence is full national action and I don't want to see that but we will do whatever is necessary to keep people safe in a very difficult pandemic.”
He added: “It isn't something that we ever take off the table but it isn't something that we want to see either, it is the last line of defence.
“But what I would say this morning is the country once again needs to come together and recognise there is a serious challenge.
“The virus is accelerating. Unfortunately, it isn't just cases increasing, it's also the number of people ending up in hospital increasing.”
It's expected that people living in Lancashire, excluding those in Blackpool, will be put under tighter coronavirus restrictions from tomorrow.
The changes would run alongside the England-wide six-person limit on social gatherings.
It comes as parts of Merseyside and Cheshire are expected to be placed under local lockdown later today after a rise in coronavirus rates.
Under the new rules residents may be told not to socialise with people outside of their support bubble, restaurants and bars may be ordered to shut at 10pm.
A statement from Lancashire County Council said: "We are expecting an announcement later today by Government that the majority of Lancashire will be subject to new measures in order to bring down the rate of Covid-19 infections.
"Over the last two weeks, we have unfortunately seen significant increases in the number of cases in most towns and cities in our county.
"The Government reviews the situation weekly and can implement new measures if deemed necessary to control the spread. We are awaiting the full regulations and guidelines, but will let you know what it means for you and our county as soon as we can."
New restrictions have also been introduced in Barrow. Only limited visits are being allowed to care homes, schools and hospitals.
No more than two households in the borough are allowed to meet at any one time. The area's director of public health says he is worried by the number of cases.
Meanwhile, the Government is expected to announce tighter restrictions on care home visits in areas with high numbers of coronavirus cases.
Care homes in areas subject to local lockdowns may be advised to temporarily restrict visits in all but end-of-life situations, it is understood.
For parts of the country where there is no local lockdown, but where community transmission is a cause for concern, an option officials are considering is advising that visits are restricted to one designated visitor per resident.
The Government will set out further details later today in its social care action plan to help fight the spread of coronavirus over winter.
Restrictions are also expected to be announced in Merseyside. Credit: PA
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson told BBC Breakfast he would welcome action in Merseyside.
He said: "The measures the Government will be likely to impose on Liverpool today, similar to what they did with the North East yesterday, is unfortunate but welcome because what I am worried about is that, if we don't tackle the measures now, then we will head towards the winter and Christmas period where we could be in a real difficult position, not just here but across the country."
In Warrington, public health leaders appealed to residents not to visit other households earlier this week as case numbers grew in the borough.
Nine of the 10 areas with the highest infection rates are in the North West.
Most parts of Greater Manchester are already subject to restrictions.
In Bolton, which has the highest number of cases in the country, measures were brought in last week restricting restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs to takeaway only, and requiring all hospitality venues to close between 10pm and 5am.
Boris Johnson is considering the introduction of new national restrictions - possibly as soon as next week - as the prime minister races to try and get a handle on the spread of coronavirus.
With COVID-19 cases now doubling every seven to eight days, the government is looking at introducing nationwide restrictions for a short period to try to "short-circuit" the virus and slow the spread of the disease.
Image:Boris Johnson is considering the introduction of new national restrictions
Government figures stressed the plans being drawn up stopped short of a full national lockdown, as seen in the spring, when the country was told to "stay at home".
Proposals being worked up for such a "circuit break" could see essential travel to schools and workplaces contining, but restaurants and bars would shut - or perhaps run on restricted hours - and different households would be asked not to mix.
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The restrictions could be put in place for two weeks, but the timing and duration of the measures has yet to be finalised.
It comes amid fears that daily coronavirus case numbers could, in a few weeks, hit the figures seen in March and April if the government doesn't take decisive action now and "hammer down" on the disease.
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Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, warned the prime minister at a meeting on on Wednesday evening that the disease was now doubling every seven to eight days.
It is understood they warned the UK is now about six weeks behind France and Spain and in danger of seeing a substantial increase in the number of cases by mid-October if the virus is left unchecked.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, on Friday told Sky News that a national lockdown was the "last line of defence".
And while the prime minister has refused to rule out such drastic measures, No 10 is loathed to have to return such draconian measures, astutely aware of the damage it would do the economy and to public health in the longer term.
"The PM is in a very difficult situation because it all rests on him," one senior minister said this week.
"The instinct of the PM is that he has to keep this virus under control, because if there is a spike, it falls on his shoulders. I do feel for him."
The prime minister also met with his chancellor Rishi Sunak and Business Secretary Alok Sharma on Thursday morning to discuss the economic situation amid anxiety in government over the looming spike in unemployment when the furlough scheme winds up in October.
The Treasury, along with many of Mr Johnson's backbencher and others in his cabinet, is of the view that the country cannot go back to a full lockdown and must exhaust all other options in order to avoid such a situation.
People have been turned away from COVID-19 testing centres - despite having booked appointments.
Local lockdowns have already been broadened to cover ten million people as the number of people testing positive increases.
Coronavirus cases are rising across the UK with a further 3,395 confirmed inflections and 21 deaths reported on Thursday.
According to the Financial Times, experts on the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) have suggested a new national lockdown.
This could coincide with the October school half-term in order to limit the impact on children's education, the newspaper added.
On Thursday, localised restrictions were introduced in northeast England, which means more than 10 million people across the UK are now in some form of local lockdown.
New restrictions covering the whole of Lancashire, with the exception of two thirds of the seaside resort of Blackpool, are expected to be announced on Friday.
Baroness Dido Harding, head of the National Institute for Health Protection, says that access to testing must be prioritised.
Mr Hancock confirmed the government would be "making further announcements" on localised action later in the day.
"We do have to recognise that the number of cases is rising and we do have to act because we know, especially from looking at other countries, that inexorably leads to more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths," he said.
"And that is what we want to minimise and we want to protect people's livelihoods at the same time."
Pressed on how close the UK might be to a second national lockdown, the health secretary replied: "Sometimes we can't say exactly what the future holds because we're in a pandemic.
"But I can give this hope, which is that if everybody follows the rule of six, if everyone follows self-isolation if they have tested positive or if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, and if everybody in the local lockdown areas follows the rules near them, then we can control this virus together.
Mr Hancock pointed to the example of Belgium as offering "hope" for the UK, adding: "They had a start of a second spike, quite similar to what we've seen over the last few weeks here, and then they took action and then it came down.
"It came down because the country, once again, came together to tackle the virus.
"In Belgium, for example, they introduced the rule of five, we've introduced a rule of six."
Responding to reports the government could be considering further national restrictions, Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Labour warned months ago that unless the government spent the summer fixing the testing regime then we would face a bleak winter.
"The government ignored that advice, the testing regime is collapsing and so it is not surprising national restrictions are back on the table."
Similar measures are being considered for Leeds and London’s nine million population, The Sun understands.
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A boozer has his temperature checked as he goes into a barCredit: North News and Pictures
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Drinkers packed Newcastle bars before a curfew hit the region Credit: North News and Pictures
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Partygoers thronged the streets before the new restrictions are introducedCredit: North News and Pictures
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Friends hit Newcastle for a last blowout before strict new regulations come into forceCredit: North News and Pictures
They could also include restrictions on the use of public transport and tougher fines for failing to wear a mask.
Today's ramped-up restrictions apply to two million people across Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland.
And there are fears of a fresh surge, with40,000 students due back to Newcastle University and another 20,000 to Durham University.
Around 2,350 pubs and restaurants have been hit, according to real estate adviser Altus Group.
Sean Southern from The Gateshead Arms told MailOnline: "Things seemed to be getting better and then all of a sudden we're told last night that there's going to be big changes and we haven't really had time to prepare.
"People forget that closing at 10pm also has an impact on staff who might have wanted to pick up a few extra hours."
Experts suggested an October lockdown during half term before the virus "breaks the NHS", The Financial Times reports.
Boris Johnson hasn't ruled out another national shutdown - although with the increasing number of lightning lockdowns across many regions, much of the country is already living with enforced changes.
While all of England is now having to adhere to the "rule of six" - which limits gatherings to half a dozen people - some entire regions are living with or soon face harsher rules.
Experts suggested an October lockdown during half term before the virus "breaks the NHS", The Financial Times reports.
And with Covid cases spiking alarmingly, testing chief Baroness Dido Harding enraged MPs by admitting officials did not expect demand to be so high.
NHS Test and Trace chief Lady Harding blamed scientists for not predicting that up to a million people a day would be demanding a check from a system with a capacity of just 250,000.
I don’t think anybody was expecting to see a really sizeable demand as we have over the course of the last few weeks
NHS Test and Trace chief, Lady Harding
She claimed “scared and worried” people were getting tested when they did not need to, also accusing a quarter of them of lying about their symptoms.
Lady Harding said: “I don’t think anybody was expecting to see a really sizeable demand as we have over the course of the last few weeks.
"None of the modelling expected (that)."
Meanwhile, the country's failing test and trace system could be outsourced to Amazon, the Telegraph reports.
And the "chaotic" coronavirus test labs are running out of staff as scientists struggle to cope with demand, according to The Times.
The testing fiasco was exposed as swathes of the country were placed under extra restrictions.
Sky reports that tighter restrictions are also set to be imposed on Lancashire, excluding Blackpool, from Saturday.
The Lancashire lockdown will include Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster and Morecambe, the broadcaster claims.
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Drinkers enjoy a glass of wine and a pint in the sunshine yesterdayCredit: Getty Images - Getty
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A doorman checks a reveller's temperature outside a barCredit: North News and Pictures
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Pals flocked to pubs in the area to celebrate the last night before stricter drinking rules come inCredit: North News and Pictures
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Drinkers pose for a snap during their boozy night outCredit: North News and Pictures
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Revellers queues up to get into one venue on Thursday nightCredit: North News and Pictures
Meanwhile, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has said he expects further restrictions to hit the North West this week.
The Liverpool Echo reports he said: "We know there will be Government meetings to decide what happens next on Friday, but we fully expect to be affected by lockdown measures having gone over the 100 cases per 100,000 government threshold.
"We think this could well be part of a wider North West lockdown, because you can see cases are rising across the whole region.
Liverpool has seen soaring coronavirus rates, with 106.4 cases per 100,000 people.
Virtues of a curfew
CURFEWS helped reduce infection rates in Belgium.
In late July all public venues shut at 11pm, and citizens were told to stay at home from 11.30pm until 6am.
In mid-August, as rates fell, the curfew was eased to 1.30am to 5am.
Earlier closing times can stop people getting too drunk and too close to other revellers.
But sociologist Prof Robert Dingwall, at Nottingham Trent University, said people might start their night outs earlier.
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As demand for tests rise throughout the country it was not possible to book a slot in Liverpool, Wirral, Bury or Salford yesterday, which are all areas within the top 20 highest infection rates in England.
London has seen a rise of case rates in at least 30 boroughs, according to recent data. The city as a whole has an infection rate of 490.2.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out a second national lockdown, telling Sky News: "We'll do what is necessary to keep people safe."
It has been reported that scientists advising the government have proposed a two-week national lockdown in October to try to tackle the rising number of coronavirus cases.
Image:Scientists advising the government are reported to be proposing a two-week national lockdown in October
The government confirmed that the prime minister met with England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, on Wednesday night where they discussed the latest COVID-19 data.
Government figures said the prime minister was weighing up whether he has to introduce national restrictions for a short period of time in the next few weeks in order to try to put a brake on the spread of coronavirus, amid concerns it is doubling every seven to eight days.
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It is understood such a "circuit break" would see schools and workplaces continue to remain open, but restrictions being imposed on people's social lives.
It was said the hope is such measures would prevent more radical action being taken, although no final decision has been made.
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Asked about the possibility of a second national lockdown, Mr Hancock told Sky News' Kay Burley: "The last line of defence is full national action and I don't want to see that but we will do whatever is necessary to keep people safe in a very difficult pandemic."
He added: "It isn't something that we ever take off the table but it isn't something that we want to see either, it is the last line of defence.
"But what I would say this morning is the country once again needs to come together and recognise there is a serious challenge.
"The virus is accelerating. Unfortunately it isn't just cases increasing, it's also the number of people ending up in hospital increasing."
According to the Financial Times, experts on the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) have suggested a new national lockdown.
This could coincide with the October school half-term in order to limit the impact on children's education, the newspaper added.
On Thursday, localised restrictions were introduced in northeast England, which means more than 10 million people across the UK are now in some form of local lockdown.
New restrictions covering the whole of Lancashire, with the exception of two thirds of the seaside resort of Blackpool, are expected to be announced on Friday.
Mr Hancock confirmed the government would be "making further announcements" on localised action later in the day.
"We do have to recognise that the number of cases is rising and we do have to act because we know, especially from looking at other countries, that inexorably leads to more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths," he said.
"And that is what we want to minimise and we want to protect people's livelihoods at the same time."
Pressed on how close the UK might be to a second national lockdown, the health secretary replied: "Sometimes we can't say exactly what the future holds because we're in a pandemic.
"But I can give this hope, which is that if everybody follows the rule of six, if everyone follows self-isolation if they have tested positive or if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, and if everybody in the local lockdown areas follows the rules near them, then we can control this virus together.
Mr Hancock pointed to the example of Belgium as offering "hope" for the UK, adding: "They had a start of a second spike, quite similar to what we've seen over the last few weeks here, and then they took action and then it came down.
"It came down because the country, once again, came together to tackle the virus.
"In Belgium, for example, they introduced the rule of five, we've introduced a rule of six."
Responding to reports the government could be considering further national restrictions, Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Labour warned months ago that unless the government spent the summer fixing the testing regime then we would face a bleak winter.
"The government ignored that advice, the testing regime is collapsing and so it is not surprising national restrictions are back on the table."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out a second national lockdown, telling Sky News: "We'll do what is necessary to keep people safe."
It has been reported that scientists advising the government have proposed a two-week national lockdown in October to try to tackle the rising number of coronavirus cases.
Image:Scientists advising the government are reported to be proposing a two-week national lockdown in October
Asked about those reports and the possibility of a second national lockdown, Mr Hancock told Sky News' Kay Burley: "The last line of defence is full national action and I don't want to see that but we will do whatever is necessary to keep people safe in a very difficult pandemic."
He added: "It isn't something that we ever take off the table but it isn't something that we want to see either, it is the last line of defence.
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"But what I would say this morning is the country once again needs to come together and recognise there is a serious challenge.
"The virus is accelerating. Unfortunately it isn't just cases increasing, it's also the number of people ending up in hospital increasing."
More from Covid-19
According to the Financial Times, experts on the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) have suggested a new national lockdown.
This could coincide with the October school half-term in order to limit the impact on children's education, the newspaper added.
On Thursday, localised restrictions were introduced in northeast England, which means more than 10 million people across the UK are now in some form of local lockdown.
New restrictions covering the whole of Lancashire, with the exception of two thirds of the seaside resort of Blackpool, are expected to be announced on Friday.
Mr Hancock confirmed the government would be "making further announcements" on localised action later in the day.
"We do have to recognise that the number of cases is rising and we do have to act because we know, especially from looking at other countries, that inexorably leads to more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths," he said.
"And that is what we want to minimise and we want to protect people's livelihoods at the same time."
