Changes are set to be made to national and local lockdown rules in England, the Health Secretary confirmed.
Matt Hancock made the statement amid speculation that current rules are to be replaced with a simpler three-tier system.
That 'traffic light' system would impose a 'level' of rules on an area - or the whole country - based on the coronavirus risks on a three-tier scale.
New lockdown measures could include everything from a ban on households mixing to a ban on visiting care homes and even pubs being closed at the most serious level.
On Saturday, Liverpool City Region, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough became the latest areas to be put under tighter restrictions following a rise in cases.
Mr Hancock said that the Government would outline a “more simplified” approach and acknowledged the need for local action to be “more consistent” - reports Wales Online.
He told the Commons: “I’ll update the House in due course on what action the Government is taking so we can have more consistent approaches to levels of local action, working with our colleagues in local government.
“For now, it’s essential that people follow the guidance in their local area.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Government wanted to keep local lockdown rules as “simple as possible” but did not confirm whether a three-tier system was to be introduced.
Flavio Toxvaerd, a Cambridge University specialist in the economics of infectious diseases, said: “As a general principle, the targeting of measures to specific groups or geographical areas is preferable to one-size-fits-all measures, because they allow us to minimise the damage that social distancing inevitably imposes on society and the economy.”
But Dr Toxvaerd also pointed out that a situation where one town closes pubs and entertainment venues and a neighbouring one does not could prompt thousands to rush to the second town and help spread the disease.
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A “stark” example of this happened in Italy in March, where lockdowns in the north sent thousands of people rushing to the south of the country.
Dr Nilu Ahmed, a behavioural psychologist at Bristol University, said: “The more direct and simple rules are, the greater the likelihood of compliance as they are easier to remember.”
The blanket rules of the nationwide lockdown earlier this year “left no room for error” in understanding but now people complain of feeling baffled by the different guidance across the country, she said.
Dr Ahmed said: “Clear guidance offers more than just rules to follow, it provides reassurance during stressful times.”
