A rapidly growing number of areas across England have seen rising Covid-19 rates, prompting fears of tougher lockdown rules for some.
Just seven days ago 21 out of a total of 315 local authority areas had recorded a week-on-week jump in rates.
The most recent Public Health England data, published on Tuesday, reveals that this has now soared to 126 – more than a third of all local authority areas.
Only one region, the north-east of England, has rates coming down in all local areas.
With the tier system set to be reviewed on December 16, there are fears that some areas could be just days away from being plunged into tier 3 restrictions.
Here’s a look at the current tier 2 areas where cases are on the rise.
London
London is currently entirely in tier 2, but rates of Covid-19 are now up across 23 of 32 boroughs.
The biggest jump is in Havering, where the rate has increased from 268.5 to 346.0 – the highest rate anywhere in London.
Hounslow has recorded the biggest drop, down from 170.2 to 147.3, while Richmond-upon-Thames currently has the lowest rate in the capital: 80.3.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has urged residents to follow tier 2 rules stringently in order to avoid being placed into tougher restrictions.
A spokesman for Khan said: “If we begin to act like this virus has gone away we could see a devastating further surge in cases at a time of year when our NHS is already under enough pressure,” the spokesman said.
“The number-one way to look out for our loved ones and support local businesses in this festive season is to follow the rules and do all we can to avoid going back into tougher restrictions, later this month or any time in the future.”
Eastern England
The whole of Eastern England is currently in tier 2, but rates are rising in most areas — 35 out of a total of 45 in the region.
Basildon, Essex, has recorded the biggest jump, up from 290.6 to 390.5, and now has the highest rate for any area in the region.
Leader of Basildon Council Gavin Callaghan issued an “urgent message” earlier in December, warning residents to continue to abide by the rules in order to avoid being placed under tougher restrictions.
Brentwood’s cases also jumped from 121 to 192 from the last seven day period, with the most recent figures revealing 249.3 cases per 100,000 people.
But the picture isn’t the same across the entire region. North Norfolk has seen the biggest week-on-week fall, down from 90.6 to 65.8.
Meanwhile, mid Suffolk currently has the lowest rate: 46.2, up from 37.5.
The South East
Of the 67 areas in this region, 40 are recording a rise. A total of fourteen areas in the region are already in tier 3, comprised of Kent plus Slough, but others face being moved into tougher restrictions if rates continue to rise.
Just one – the Isle of Wight – is currently in tier 1.
While tier 3 Slough has seen the biggest drop in cases across the region, Runnymede, Surrey, – currently in Tier 2 – has seen the biggest week-on-week jump, up from 143.1 to 275.1.
South east England is notable for containing both the highest and the lowest rates in the whole of England. Medway has the highest, 607.1 (up from 495.4), while the Isle of Wight has the lowest, 19.8 (down from 31.0).
The South West
The picture across the South West is vastly differs between local authorities, with Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in tier 1 while Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire remain in tier 3.
The rest of the region is in tier 2, but some areas have noted a jump in cases prompting fears they too could end up living under the toughest restrictions.
Seven local authority areas, all of which are in tier 2, have recorded a rise in the latest figures.
West Devon, in Tier 2, has seen the biggest week-on-week increase, though it’s only a small rise: up from 59.1 to 87.8.
Gloucester has the highest rate in the south-west: 158.0.
Data from the Covid Symptom Study app, run by experts at ZOE and King’s College London, shows Bath and North East Somerset, released on Tuesday also shows that the area is one of just a handful across England where active infections are rising.
According to the app, which sends data to ministers on a daily basis, the area now has case rate of 418 per 100,000 and 116 per 100,000 for the over 60s.
How tiers are decided
The government has said it will base any decision on whether a region needs to move up or down tiers on five criteria.
Case detection rates in all age groups;
Case detection rates in the over 60s;
The rate at which cases are rising or falling;
Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken);
Pressure on the NHS.
Ministers will also consider local views “to build the most accurate picture” of what is happening on the ground.