England could soon be placed under a three tier lockdown system as coronavirus cases continues to rise, it has been reported.
Coronavirus restrictions are to be further tightened in parts of England early next week, with the closure of bars and restaurants a possibility, reports the BBC.
Boris Johnson and ministers are reportedly keen to simplify the confusing different lockdown rules for different areas into a "traffic light" style system.
There will be three levels of severity, with different restrictions for areas in each zone.
The strictest category may include Liverpool which has the second highest rate of coronavirus cases in England.
In the category with the toughest restrictions, measures are expected to include hospitality venues closed and overnight stays away from the home banned.
Ministers are believed to be considering the hammerblow to the hospitality industry following a surge in coronavirus infections in Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle, Mirror Online reports.
As case numbers rise across the country, the three-tier “Covid-19 Proposed Social Distancing Framework”, dated September 30, has been drawn up and is yet to be signed off by Downing Street, according to the Guardian.
Ministers are understood to be keen to keep schools open under any circumstance.
The latest official figures showed that as of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 14,162 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and that a further 70 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.
The latest moves come after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a further tightening of restrictions in Scotland from 6pm on Friday.
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Under the new rules, indoor hospitality venues will only be allowed to operate between 6am and 6pm daily, selling food and non-alcoholic drinks only, while outdoor bars will be allowed to serve alcohol until 10pm.
There could also be a ban on overnight stays away from home in some areas.
In the five regions with the highest number of cases - including Glasgow and Edinburgh - licensed premises will have to shut for a 16-day period, although they can offer takeaway services.
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon warned that without the "short, sharp" package of measures, the disease could be "out of control" by the end of the month.
