THE UK has seen a worrying rise in the number of reported coronavirus cases for two days running.
Boris Johnson’s Cabinet could bring in tighter restrictions after a spike in numbers on September 6 and 7.
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No final decision has been made but sources said there would be a “toughening up” of the rules to stop the spread as scientists feared it was already spreading across the country.
There were 2,988 new cases reported on Sunday, up from 1,813 on Saturday.
And 2,948 cases were recorded on Monday too, leading scientists to believe a second spike is underway.
The current rules mean no more than 30 people can meet inside as part of one group, but it could be cut down to as low as six.
Matt Hancock is due to make a statement to MPs at 1pm on September 8.
But the indications are that there will not be a second lockdown just yet.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News: “There is a concerning rise in cases and it reminds us that we have to keep following the guidance.
“Although we are encouraged to return to the workplace to support jobs, cafes and so on, we need to do so responsibly.
“As we approach the autumn and winter there is going to be even more responsibility on all of us to keep following the guidelines.
“Nobody wants to see a return to full national restrictions of the kind we had earlier this year.”
The Government’s lockdown watchlist was first published on April 23 and was last updated on September 4.
The Welsh town of Caerphilly will go into a local lockdown at 6pm on September 8.
Areas of intervention
1. Pendle
2. Oldham
3. Blackburn with Darwen
4. Bradford
5. Rochdale
6. Manchester
7. Bolton
8. Tameside
9. Trafford
10. Bury
11. Preston
12. Salford
13. Leicester
14. Kirklees
15. Calderdale
Areas of enhanced support
Hyndburn
Burnley
Great Yarmouth
Sandwell
Swindon
Birmingham
Breckland
Northampton
Rossendale
Stockport
Norwich
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
South Norfolk
Broadland
North Norfolk
Areas of concern
Corby
Kettering
Oadby & Wigston
Leeds
South Tyneside
Middlesbrough
Peterborough
Stoke-on-Trent
Luton
The r-rate stands for the reproduction number.
The reproduction number is a way of rating a disease’s ability to spread.
It’s the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.
The latest government figures, published on September 7, has the range between 0.9 and 1.1.
The growth rate change is currently -1 per cent to +2 per cent.
A growth rate between -1 per cent and +2 per cent means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 1 per cent and growing by 2 per cent every day.
England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said a surge in cases in the 17 to 21 age group has now become increasingly worrying – as they may then go on to pass the virus onto their parents, and grandparents.
He revealed the “downstream consequences” of the gatherings are that the country is now seeing increased cases of transmission and faces a “bumpy ride” ahead.
Prof Van-Tam added: “I am quite concerned that we must take this seriously so that we don’t end up with a spreading problem over the next few weeks and months.”
Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the latest increase in coronavirus cases is “very worrying”.
He told Radio 4: “That is what we are really keeping a close eye on – the extent to which it moves away from these local outbreaks to broader community transmission.”
