A new colour-coded alert system is being rolled out to monitor the threat posed by Covid-19.
The five-tier system ranging from green to red is similar to the one used by the Government to announce threats from terrorism.
It will be run by a new joint Biosecurity Centre with the Prime Minister saying lockdown will be lifted when the country descends the ladder.
The news comes as Boris Johnson announced that the UK is currently on a level four just below the “most critical” threat which would have seen the NHS swamped by coronavirus cases.
Mr Johnson used his address on Sunday to the nation to suggest the country was now edging towards level three.
He said: “We are establishing a new Covid alert system run by a new Joint Biosecurity Centre.
“And that Covid alert level will be determined primarily by R and the number of coronavirus cases.
“And in turn that Covid alert level will tell us how tough we have to be in our social-distancing measures – the lower the level, the fewer the measures."
The Prime Minister said the higher the level, the "tougher and stricter" the Government will need to be on coronavirus restrictions.
“Level one means the disease is no longer present in the UK and level five is the most critical – the kind of situation we could have had if the NHS had been overwhelmed," he added.
“Over the period of the lockdown, we have been in level four, and it is thanks to your sacrifice we are now in a position to begin to move in steps to level three.”
