ENGLAND’S second national Covid lockdown is due to end next month and the government will soon have to decide what further restrictions it will have to impose on local areas.
Experts have previously warned that the tier system would need to be “strengthened” if it was to be used again.
Areas such as Greater Manchester could face being forced back into Tier 3 once the second lockdown is lifted
The tier system had three set tiers, with Tier 3 being the most restrictive.
Areas such as Hull, Oldham, Newcastle and Leeds are all at risk of entering Tier 3 on December 2 as cases continue to climb in these areas.
Local leaders have warned that tough restrictions would have to be implemented to stop the spread – but which areas are set for Tier 3 next month?
East Yorkshire
Hull currently has the highest infection rate in the country with 760.6 cases per 100,000 people.
Julia Weldon, the director of public health at Hull City Council last warned that the region could be pushed into Tier 3 once lockdown ends.
Speaking to BBC Look North, she said that the levels seen in East Yorkshire, mean that the area will “definitely be” in Tier 3 when restrictions end.
She said that everyone needed to “play their part” in order to stop the spread of the virus, but gave some hope to residents when she claimed that restrictions would be lowered by Christmas.
Lancashire
Areas such as Blackburn with Darwen have long been considered as a Covid hotspot and the area is still in the top ten most infected places.
Blackburn with Darwen currently has 575.2 cases per 100,000 people.
Rates in other areas in Lancashire have also remained high.
Greater Manchester
There are several boroughs in Greater Manchester that have high infection rates.
The area was forced into Tier 3 restrictions before the second national lockdown despite backlash from Andy Burnham.
Oldham is in the top ten of most infected places and currently has 568.5 cases per 100,000.
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire had been set to go into Tier 3 before the second national lockdown and some local areas are still battling with a surge in cases.
Kirklees is one of the areas that features in the top ten most infected places and currently has 553.4 cases per 100,000.
North East
Before the second national lockdown, many areas in the North East had already been under Tier 3 restrictions.
Hartlepool is currently the second most infected place in the country and has 596.8 cases per 100,000.
Rates are rising in all of the 12 local areas in North-east England.
The highest rate in the region is Hartlepool.
This is also the biggest week-on-week rise for any area in the region.
Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough have also seen notable jumps.
Northumberland has the lowest rate in the region.
