Bradford is expected to face changes to lockdown rules in coming days as the Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night warned Britain was at a "perilous moment" in the pandemic. 

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and ministers were considering a "range of options" on new restrictions on pubs and restaurants in the North.

At the time, a spokesperson for the PM said preliminary data showed there is "significant" exposure of Covid-19 in hospitality settings with cases rising faster in West Yorkshire, the North-East and North-West.

But what do we know about the new restrictions so far? We've put together everything that the Government is expected to announce and what it means for our district. 

What is being announced?

It is understood major changes to restrictions will be announced on Monday - these are expected to include.

- Pub closures in 'Covid hotspots'

The Government is reportedly planning to order the closure of pubs in Covid hotspots, with ministers considering fresh financial packages to help the hardest hit areas and industries.

Rishi Sunak has announced the next stage of the Jobs Support Scheme today, ahead of the new restrictions expected for the hospitality sector. He has said the Government will pay two thirds of the wages of staff in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restriction

- Stricter lockdown measures for 'Covid hotspots'

Leaked Government documents show that a new three-tier system for restrictions in England will be announced on Monday, before measures come in on Wednesday.

There will be three sets of lockdown rules, designed to simplify the current system where local lockdown rules vary by council area.

Read more: Coronavirus cases 'doubling twice as fast in North as South'

Under the new 'three-tier' system, areas that fall into tier one, which have fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 population, would have to stick to national restrictions. 

It is understood that these restrictions would include the "rule of six" and continuation of social distancing measures.

Areas that fall into tier two, which is where cases are above 100 per 100,000 population, would see restrictions similar to those 'local lockdown' measures that have been imposed in Bradford and other areas.

This would include a ban on households meeting with other households in any indoor setting. Currently people in Bradford, Caderdale and Kirklees are banned from meeting in private homes and gardens, and advised not to meet in public spaces, such as pubs, restaurants and parks. All indoor meeting is currently banned in the majority of the North East.

The final third tier, the most stringent of the restrictions, would apply to areas with extremely high rates of Covid-19 with full lockdowns imposed.

The latest infections data shows that Bradford would likely fall into tier two or three - as Covid-19 rates stand at 283.5 cases per 100,000 people. 

There has been concern from West Yorkshire council leaders that another full lockdown would have a 'devastating effect' on local towns and cities.

Bradford currently ranks 24th on the list of 314 areas in England, with Nottingham (689.1), Knowsley (601.2), Liverpool (578.7) and Manchester (543) topping the list with rates of well over 500 cases per 100,000.

How did we get here?

Last night, Downing Street said a "range of options" were being considered after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Covid situation was becoming "very serious".

Some 17,540 lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the UK as of 9am on Thursday, while new figures showed 1,000 more people are in hospital with the virus in England compared to a week ago.

Matt Hancock said he was “worried” about the growth in the number of cases in parts of the country.

He said he was most concerned about parts of Yorkshire, the North-West and North-East, as well as areas of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What the experts have said

Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the north of England is “not that far away from the health service being stretched”.

“Because even if we turn the epidemic around now, infections that occur today won’t go to hospital for another week or two,” he added.

What Downing Street has said

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing on Thursday: “We are seeing coronavirus cases rise across the entire country but they are rising faster in the North East and the North West.

“We are keeping the data under close review and we are considering a range of options to reduce the spread of the virus in order to protect communities and to protect the NHS.”

He suggested new restrictions on hospitality could be introduced in England as ministers come under pressure to act after Scotland announced fresh restrictions on the hospitality sector.

“Early data does suggest that a significant proportion of exposure to the virus is seen in the hospitality sector, and that is even more pronounced in younger age groups where we have been seeing the most rapid rise in infections,” the spokesman said.

“The data is new and we will continue to gather evidence and review it.”

He added he is not yet in a position to publish it.