Public health bosses have expressed "enormous concern" for rising rates of infection seen in every part of Nottinghamshire.
During a public health briefing on Friday (January 8) it was confirmed Nottinghamshire currently had an R number value of between 1.1 and 1.5.
Director of Public Health for the county, Jonathan Gribbin said: "Now if it is indeed anywhere near the top end of that range, that represents a rate of spread and transmission that is really a deep concern to us, particularly starting at the point that we do with the severe pressures we're facing in the health and social care system."
Hospitals in Nottinghamshire are currently running at 70 percent higher than they were in the April peak with hundreds more patients admitted with Covid in recent weeks.
While the vaccine roll-out was described as the 'brightest light' for the population, Mr Gribbin expressed it needed to be understood in the context of being in national lockdown and with increasing rates.
He said: "It's absolutely essential at this point that everyone does everything they possibly can to reduce their contact with other people outside of their household.
"The reason for that is obvious when we look at the rates.
"For national context, the average rate across England stood at 612 yesterday (January 7) per 100,000.
"The rates for Nottinghamshire and Nottingham are just lower than the England average but frankly of enormous concern because rates, wherever we look in Nottinghamshire, are at a very high level, they are rising steeply in all areas...and in all age groups.
"So the messages are essential wherever we live, wherever we work, whoever we are, whatever our age is."
