Boris Johnson announcement: When the PM is expected to announce new restrictions for Doncaster

The Prime Minister is expected to impose tougher restrictions for areas such as Doncaster which have been worst-hit by coronavirus today, in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus across the country.

South Yorkshire has been teetering on the edge of a local lockdown for the last fortnight, with Sheffield being confirmed as the area with the seventh higher number of Covid-19 cases across the country, according to Public Health England.

Doncaster has consistently had the lowest number of virus cases across the South Yorkshire region.

Ministers are said to be considering similar strict new measures for swathes of northern England, amid concerns the virus is spreading out of control.

When will Boris Johnson make the announcement?

Boris Johnson is expected to make a formal announcement of new measures in a statement to MPs on today (Monday, October 12).

The Prime Minister is scheduled to address representatives at around 3.30pm, by announcing the new three-tier system of “local COVID alert levels” across England.

This will come after a COBRA meeting this morning in which the details of the proposed three-stage lockdown system will be finalised.

At around 6pm, Mr Johnson will host a televised press conference alongside Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, to address the public and answer questions.

“This is a critical juncture and it is absolutely vital that everyone follows the clear guidance we have set out to help contain the virus,” Downing Street said.

What are the current restrictions in Doncaster?

The town has no local lockdown measures at present, despite the number of positive tests in the town steadily rising.

More than 200 people have now died from coronavirus at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, the hospital confirmed on Tuesday after a further three patients who contracted the virus died.

Across South Yorkshire, a total of 901 hospital patients have died in the county since the pandemic began back in February – with 239 deaths in Doncaster, 302 fatalities in Sheffield hospitals, 209 in Rotherham and 151 in Barnsley.

What is the current infection rate in Doncaster?

Since the pandemic began, there have been 3,346 cases of coronavirus in Doncaster, giving the town a rate of 1,072 people contracting the virus per every 100,000.

From September 30 to October 6, there were 506 new cases from September 6 to October 6 – an increase of 337 from the previous week.

According to the latest data from Public Health England, the town had a rate of 162 cases in every 100,000 people.

What measures could be implemented in a three-tier lockdown?

In an effort to address the rising infection rates, the Prime Minister will likely introduce a three-tier system for local lockdowns, which would see different parts of England placed into different categories.

Areas that fall into tier one will have fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 of population and will continue to follow national restrictions, such as the "rule of six" and social distancing.

Those in tier two include areas where cases are above 100 per 100,000, with restrictions to be similar to those currently in place in large parts of northern England, including bans on household meetings.

Areas placed into tier three would include those with significantly higher infection rates and will likely face a full lockdown, which would see pubs, cafes and restaurants forced to close.

Will pubs and restaurants close?

Mr Johnson is expected to order tougher restrictions in swathes of northern England and the Midlands, with the worst affected areas facing the possible closure of pubs and restaurants.

Cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle will most likely see hospitality venues forced to shut, as infection rates in these areas continue to soar.

However, a final decision on the time period or extent of the potential closures has not yet been confirmed.

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