The Government is considering introducing a complete lockdown in Oldham, a town in Greater Manchester, as coronavirus infections continue to soar. The new measures could see pubs, restaurants and gyms close again.
New lockdown restrictions are already in place in Oldham, with people prohibited from meeting other households indoors.
But the measures are feared to not go far enough, as infections continue to soar.
Ministers have been consulting with the local council about potential new restrictions, with an announcement expected later today.
Katrina Stephens, the director of public health for Oldham Council, said a full lockdown could take place in “days rather than weeks” unless people adhered to the rules.
Infections continue to rise in Oldham, which now has the highest seven-day coronavirus infection rate in the country, with 108.8 cases per 100,000 people.
The council said 255 new cases were recorded in the week ended August 8, compared with 137 cases the week before.
Most cases in the past four weeks have been diagnosed in people in their 20s and 30s.
The majority of new cases have been women in their 20s (66 people), followed by men in the same age bracket (52 people).
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8.01am update: Coronavirus BREAKTHROUGH: UK secures early access to 90 million doses of vaccine candidate
The UK has secured early access to 90 million doses of two promising coronavirus vaccine candidates, boosting hopes of a weapon in the fight against the pandemic.
Potential vaccine Novavax will complete its Phase 3 clinical trial in the UK. If the vaccines are proven to be safe and effective they could be delivered to the UK by the middle of next year.
There are now plans to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine in the UK and gain access to 60 million doses.
The UK will also co-fund a global clinical trial with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson which will account for the other 30 million doses.
7.51am update: France designates Paris ‘coronavirus RED ZONE’ as crisis erupts
Paris and Bouches-du-Rhone area in France have been put on lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to surge.
The French government has declared the city and the area around Marseille on the Mediterranean coast as “red” zones with a high coronavirus infection risk.
The decree gives local authorities the power to limit the circulation of people and vehicles, to restrict the access to public transport and air travel, to limit the access to public buildings and to close some establishments where there is a high risk of infection.
It comes as the latest data shows over the past week there has been a 66 percent increase in newly reported cases and a 52 percent rise in weekly incidence rate per 100,000 population, indicating a sharp rise in COVID-19.
