Here are the latest regional and national updates on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:

THE North-East has been put on ‘tier two’ of the new traffic light system of Covid alert levels. It means the level of risk is high and the following measures are in place:

  • People living in single-person households will still be able to meet up with people in their support bubble, also known as a linked household.
  • You can meet in any outdoor space, including private gardens, following the Rule of Six
  • You must not socialise with anyone who is not in your household anywhere indoors – including in pubs, bars and restaurants. This applies both in Darlington and elsewhere
  • Social distancing and a 10pm curfew will be maintained.

BORIS Johnson warned that rising coronavirus cases and hospital admissions are flashing like “dashboard warnings in a passenger jet”. The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference that cases have gone up four times in four weeks, there are more Covid-19 patients in UK hospitals than on March 23 and deaths are rising. “These figures are flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet and we must act now,” he said.

LIVERPOOL City Region is classed as “very high” in the new local Covid alert level system, the Government has confirmed. It includes the boroughs of Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens, Sefton and Halton. Twelve areas are classed as “high”. They are: Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Warrington, Derbyshire, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North-East, Tees Valley, West Midlands, Leicester and Nottingham. All other areas in England are classified as “medium” under the Covid alert level system.

THE Prime Minister warned regional leaders who are resisting severe new measures that he could impose restrictions regardless of their objections. He told the Downing Street press conference: “It’s absolutely correct to say we’re working with local authorities across the country but particularly with those badly affected regions that everybody knows about in the North-West and the North-East, Yorkshire, Humber and so on, trying to work with them to support a collective package of measures. “The offer is there to all local leaders who are facing problems, big increases in the infection rates, we’ll help to support more local test and trace, more local enforcement and so on. We stand ready to work with local government at all levels but clearly as national Government we have to think about our primary duty, which is to save life and to protect the NHS and we will also do whatever we think is necessary over the next few days and weeks. If we can’t get agreement, then clearly it is the duty of national Government to take the necessary action to protect the public and public health and we will.”

CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak said the Government’s “comprehensive plan” will protect jobs and businesses over the winter, ensuring “no gap in support”. At a press briefing at Downing Street on Monday, he outlined how the existing furlough scheme will continue in October and the Job Support Scheme will be available from November and will run for six months. “This national programme will benefit people the same wherever they live and whatever job they do,” he said. Businesses legally required to close in England will be able to claim cash grants of up to £3,000 per month, he said, which will never need to be repaid. He announced an extra £1.3 billion of funding for Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations “if they choose to do something similar”.

ENGLAND’S chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the notion that restrictions can be imposed “without causing harm is an illusion”. He told the Downing Street press conference: “We’re going to have to do more, that’s the whole point of what the Prime Minister has just announced, and probably in some areas significantly more. “The balancing act here, and in a sense that’s reflected by the fact the Chancellor and I are standing here, is doing things which pull down the virus to the point which the R goes down below one but with a minimal impact on the economy that you can get away with. But none of us have any illusions about this and I would like to be really clear about this because I think we should not have any illusions. The idea that we can do this without causing harm is an illusion. It is a balancing act between two harms: a harm for society and the economy on the one hand and a harm for health on the other hand.”

TEES Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who is currently self-isolating after his wife tested positive for the virus, said: “Following the announcement that local lockdown restrictions will now cover the whole of the Tees Valley, under the government’s new three-tier system, it is absolutely essential that everyone across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool follow the rules so that we can get the virus back under control and return to normal as soon as possible. Under the new rules local people are banned from meeting anyone they do not live with in their own home or any indoor setting such as pubs or restaurants. So, while it is incredibly difficult I urge everyone to prevent households mixing."

A SOCIAL club has been closed for failing to comply with restrictions to combat coronavirus. Action has been taken against Thornley Officials Club, in Thornley, near Peterlee, following a serious breach of restrictions which are aimed at preventing the further spread of the disease. Community protection officers from Durham County Council found households mixing, customers standing, and a lack of social distancing being observed.

A POPULAR holiday park which failed to comply with the coronavirus restrictions has had its bar and entertainment area closed. Action was taken against Crimdon Dene Caravan Park, between Peterlee and Hartlepool, following a serious breach of restrictions aimed at preventing the further spread of the virus. The caravan park closure relates to the arcade, bar and entertainment areas and will have to remain closed until it can prove it can operate in a safe way.

A FURTHER 1,329 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the North-East and North Yorkshire in the last 24 hours. Another 36 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 30,507, NHS England said on Monday. Patients were aged between 31 and 97 years old.

All but two patients, aged 81 and 93, had known underlying health conditions.

The deaths were between October 8 and October 11. Most were on or after October 10.

No other deaths were reported without a positive Covid-19 test result. Separate figures show there were 3,665 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England as of Monday, up from 2,593 a week ago, while 426 Covid-19 hospital patients were in ventilation beds, up from 331 a week ago.

A TOTAL of 515 patients with confirmed Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals in England on Saturday, compared with 386 a week earlier.

County Durham: 7,328 was 7,057, an increase of 271

Darlington: 1,200 was 1,169, an increase of 31

Gateshead: 3,141 was 3,064, an increase of 77

Hartlepool: 1,402 was 1,350, an increase of 52

Middlesbrough: 2,202 was 2,134, an increase of 68

Newcastle: 6,148 was 5,972, an increase of 176

North Tyneside: 2,626 was 2,568, an increase of 58

North Yorkshire: 5,075 was 4,964, an increase of 111

Northumberland: 3,733 was 3,670, an increase of 63

Redcar and Cleveland: 1,435 was 1,373, an increase of 62

South Tyneside: 2,639 was 2,583, an increase of 56

Stockton: 2,409 was 2,309, an increase of 100

Sunderland: 4,778 was 4,642, an increase of 136

York: 2,099 was 2,032, an increase of 67

Total increase in North-East and North Yorkshire of 1,329