Matt Hancock is set to announce further coronavirus restrictions for some areas of England in an attempt to curb the surge in cases causing “significant pressure” on the NHS.
The health secretary will reveal any new changes in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon, with new restrictions likely to come in on Thursday – New Year’s Eve.
The number of lab-confirmed cases recorded in a single day in the UK hit a new record on Tuesday, rising above 50,000 for the first time to 53,135.
In London, already under tier 4 restrictions, patients are being treated outside some hospitals in ambulances as they queue to get in and a “major incident” has been declared in Essex.
Outside of those areas already in tier 4, cases are surging. Some areas in tiers 2 and 3 now have higher rates of infection than those in the strictest lockdowns.
For context, the government’s own threshold for quarantining overseas travellers is 20 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day average.
Brits visiting countries with higher case rates are required to quarantine for 10 days upon their return.
The figures below show cases per 100,000 people and then the percentage rise in cases in brackets. Both are over the seven-day period covered by the latest NHS data, up to December 27.
Unless otherwise stated, all areas listed are presently under tier 3 restrictions.
The places with the highest rates of infection outside tier 4
- Hartlepool – 470.8 (24%)
- Wolverhampton – 469.3 (42%)
- Sandwell – 380.6 (27%)
- Birmingham – 335.9 (14%)
- Blackburn with Darwen – 335.3 (15%)
- Walsall – 318.1 (21%)
- Dudley – 315.9 (21%)
- Northamptonshire TIER 2 – 313.7 (22%)
- Leicester 313.6 – (-1%)
- Swindon 297 – (50%)
- York TIER 2 – 292.9 (104%)
- Warrington – 291.9 (11%)
- Cheshire – 283.9 (28%)
- Staffordshire – 274.9 (7%)
- Gateshead – 271.7 (63%)
- Cumbria TIER 2 – 269.0 (60%)
- County Durham – 266.7 (21%)
- Derby – 265.4 (7%)
- Wirral TIER 2 – 260.8 (72%)
- Cheshire – 256.7 (29%)
The places with the fastest growing rate of infections outside of tier 4
- Isle of Wight – 106% (231.4)
- York TIER 2 – 104% (292.9)
- Plymouth TIER 2 – 92% (205.6)
- Cornwall and Isles of Scilly TIER 2 – 83% (145.7)
- Wirral TIER 2 – 72% (260.8)
- Gateshead – 63% (271.7)
- Sefton TIER 2 – 61% (218.5)
- Cumbria TIER 2 – 60% (269.0)
- Swindon – 50% (297)
- Knowsley TIER 2 – 47% (221.4)
- Wiltshire TIER 2 – 46% (175.2)
- Stockport – 45% (225.6)
- North Yorkshire – 44% (205.3)
- Dorset TIER 2 – 43% (134.7)
- Bournemouth TIER 2 – 42% (244.4)
- Wolverhampton – 42% (469.3)
- Tameside – 39% (194.3)
- Somerset TIER 2 – 33% (244.0)
- Rutland TIER 2 – 30% (175.3)
- Cheshire East – 29% (256.7)
There has already been reports suggesting some parts of the East Midlands, such as Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, could be moved up from tier 3 to tier 4, while other counties such as Lincolnshire and Derbyshire may stay in tier 3.
All the areas within the West Midlands metropolitan county – Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton – might be facing a move from tier 3 to 4.
Hartlepool in north-east England, along with a handful of areas in Lancashire – Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley – could also be upgraded from tier 3 to 4.
Cumbria might be moved from tier 2 to tier 3, as could Worcestershire and North Yorkshire.
In more positive developments, the coronavirus vaccine created by Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has been approved for use in the UK, paving the way for rapid rollout.
Hancock said on Wednesday morning the approval means there is a “new route” out of the pandemic but added it would take until “spring” to get enough people vaccinated.