The government is offering additional support to the North East of England to help slow the spread of coronavirus in the region.
Authorities that will receive the five-week support package include Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham, and five local authorities in the Tees Valley.
Authorities will have the option to offer extra testing and provide logistical support to maximise vaccine and testing uptake.
Public health minister Jo Churchill said: “As the data changes it is vital that our public health response continues to change with it.
“By working in lockstep with local authorities and directors of public health, this additional support should help turn the tide on these growing case numbers and extend the wall of protection that vaccines are creating across the country.
“We all have a part to play in the continued fight against this virus and our message is a clear one: the best thing we can all do to protect ourselves and our loved ones is getting jabbed. If you haven’t had your first or second doses, I’d urge you to book your vaccination at the first opportunity.”
The move comes as similar support in Bedford and much of the North West is being scaled back.
In June, it was announced that Greater Manchester and Lancashire would receive support to offer extra vaccinations, military support, and a school mask-wearing rule to drive down coronavirus case rates.
Redcar and Cleveland continues to have the highest Covid-19 case rate in England, with 2,090 new cases in the seven days to July 19 - the equivalent of 1,523.9 per 100,000 people.
This is up from 1,017.9 in the seven days to July 12.
Middlesbrough has the second highest rate, up from 1,015.7 to 1,420.8, with 2,003 new cases.
Stockton-on-Tees has the third highest rate, up from 788.5 to 1,222.7, with 2,413 new cases.
Additional reporting by Press Association
