What Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance's Covid-19 announcement will mean for Doncaster

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, will be joined by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, for a televised press conference at 11am today, September 21.

They are expected to present the latest coronavirus data and announce how it is spreading, and how this will be managed in upcoming months.

It is believed that England is at a “critical point” in the pandemic with cases rising daily, and that the televised address is a precursor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing further restrictions in the coming days.

The Prime Minister will not be joining the press conference, however, with rumours that he will hold one of his own tomorrow, September 22, to announce further restrictions ahead of winter.

Professor Whitty is expected to say: "The trend in the UK is heading in the wrong direction and we are at a critical point in the pandemic.

"We are looking at the data to see how to manage the spread of the virus ahead of a very challenging winter period."

Chris Whitty’s statement is also expected to compare how countries around Europe have dealt with the virus, their figures, and comparisons to how England is dealing with the pandemic.

There have been 3,899 confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in the UK in the latest 24-hour period, with that figure expected to rise daily.

What will it mean for Doncaster?

The north east has already seen restrictions tighten this week, and other areas may follow if cases continue to rise.

Cases in Doncaster are rising significantly, with a change of over 53 per cent from last week.

There were 30.6 cases per 100,000 people last week, jumping up considerably from 19 per 100,000 the week before.

Although a university study shows that it is currently unlikely Doncaster will become a coronavirus hotspot (more than 50 cases per 100,000 each week), this is expected to change in coming weeks, with a 45 per cent chance of it becoming a hotspot from September 26.

There is already a ban on more than six people socialising together in England, and further restrictions implemented by Boris Johnson could tighten this even further with a full ban on separate households mixing.

Further restrictions in Doncaster could include 10pm hospitality curfews, total bar and restaurant shutdowns, and instructions to work from home.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also refused to rule out the possibility of further national prevention measures.

Matt Hancock told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, "We have a choice. Either everybody follows the rules - the rule of six and the need to self-isolate if you have a positive test or if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace - or we will have to take more measures.”

The Health Secretary will deliver a further ministerial statement at around 3.30pm today.

The press conference with be televised live on the BBC at 11am.