Lockdown powers are in place if the coronavirus outbreak threatens to get out of control in the North West, a government minister has confirmed.
It was reported earlier today that the crucial coronavirus 'R' infection number in the North West is now above 1, meaning the region has the highest rate in the country and leading to huge fears the virus could begin to spread more rapidly again.
Speaking at the daily coronavirus press briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted: "There is a challenge in the North West of England that we need to address."
When asked whether the relevant infrastructure was in place to crack down in local areas, Mr Hancock said "yes".
He said he had engaged with council leaders and metro mayors through the track and trace programme.
First reported by the Manchester Evening News, the latest analysis from scientists at Public Health England and Cambridge University shows the North West now running at 1.01, up from 0.73 a few weeks ago when the data was last released, and higher than anywhere else.
Meanwhile, the R rate in the South West is listed as exactly 1, although the researchers believe the number of new daily infections there is "relatively low".
The new figures released today also prompted the question of whether people in the North West should still exercise all of the new freedoms set out by the government this month.
Mr Hancock said: "I think everyone should exercise caution.
"In a way the discussion of the higher R in the North West and South West that's estimated compared to the rest of the country is an important part in terms of moving towards a more local approach."
He added: "That doesn't take away from the need to make sure we spot and crack down on localised outbreaks when they come."
Discussing the new study, Mr Hancock said it was "very important that you look at all of these studies" to get an "overall view."
He said: "The overall view of Sage [the government's scientific advice panel] is that the R is between 0.7 and 0.9. It is higher in the South West and North West England but it is still below 1."
Mr Hancock was also asked what a regional lockdown would actually look like.
He said it had been used to contain an outbreak in Weston-super-Mare.
Responding to the study which showed a higher R rate in the North West, a government spokesperson said: "These estimates are just one of a number that inform the scientists advising Government and do not represent the consensus view.
"SAGE’s current best estimate of R for the UK is 0.7-0.9, which is updated on a weekly basis.
“There are many factors that could influence the infection rate in a particular area, including population density, age, and the position of an area on the pandemic curve.
"It is important to note that regional R values have wide uncertainty ranges. This needs to be carefully considered when reporting these figures."
