Sunderland is at a "tipping point" after coronavirus cases more than doubled in the last week, council chiefs have warned.
Local lockdown restrictions could be imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, as new data shows the city in the North East of England is fast becoming one of the UK's new hotspots.
Council bosses have warned that could happen if residents fail to "do their bit" to reduce the risk of infection, saying people have stopped complying
Sunderland is one of a handful of cities in England where the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of coronavirus has skyrocketed, going from 8.6 to 69.1, with 192 new cases, for the week up to September 6.
The Tyne and Wear city is 99% likely to be a Covid-19 hotspot within days and its reproduction number, or R number, is predicted to be above one, according to new modelling from researchers at Imperial College London.
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R is the number of people each infected person passes the virus on to, on average, and it needs to be kept below one in order to stay in control.
Many recent cases in Sunderland have been linked to a charity football event on the city's border with Durham at the end of August. About 300 people attended the football event at Burnside Working Men's Club.
In recent days a number of schools, restaurants and other businesses have been forced to close due to pupils or customers testing positive for the virus.
In a joint statement, Cllr Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, and chief executive Patrick Melia warned a local lockdown is a "very real possibility" as they urged residents to following the Government's latest advice.
They said: "We are calling on everyone in Sunderland to do their bit in the battle against Covid following a sharp rise in the number of cases across our city.
"We really are at tipping point following the dramatic rise in the number of people testing positive for Covid over the last week, with cases more than doubling in the last seven days.
"Although many of these have been linked with a charity football event on our border with Durham at the end of August, we are seeing more and more cases right across Sunderland, so we are asking each and every one of our residents to do the right thing to help us prevent the further spread of this virus across our city.
"We have all seen what has happened in other areas of the country which have seen a sharp spike in the number cases - including in our neighbouring authorities - and there is a very real possibility of the same thing happening here.
"So it is vital that we all work together if we are to contain this and prevent the further spread of the virus.
"This last week has been a very sobering reminder that Covid has not gone away and of the very real consequences of not following the social distancing guidance which is there to keep us all safe."
Residents are "desperate" for life to get back to normal after going through a "really difficult" year, but the only way that can happen is "by everyone continuing to do what the people of Sunderland have been doing so brilliantly up until very recently", the council bosses said.
They added: "That means following the advice on social distancing and staying two metres away from others, washing our hands more often for at least 20 seconds and wearing a face covering where it is appropriate to do so.
"It's also essential that anyone with symptoms books a test, doesn't leave home other than to get one, and that you stay at home while you are waiting for your test results.
"Only by working together and taking these steps can we reduce the risk of infection to ourselves, our families and our communities, and avoid more restrictions in the future."
