A second national lockdown could be announced as early as Monday for the whole of England, according to multiple reports.
The decision still needs to be signed off by the Cabinet, but suggestions indicate this is likely to happen with the lockdown coming into effect from Wednesday, reports BirminghamLive.
Back in March when the first national lockdown was put in place, a number of businesses were forced to close including pubs, close contact services such as beauty salons and non-essential shops.
Questions are now being raised over whether businesses like clothing shops will be asked to close again if this second national lockdown goes ahead.
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Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Labour's shadow business minister Lucy Powell said the Government is "dithering" on the prospect of ordering the full lockdown.
She said: "The Government's dithering on this and its refusal to follow the science means we have missed the half-term holiday when it could have had its most impact.
"It sounds like it is going to have to be longer than it would have had to have been because we are doing it too late."
In areas like the Liverpool City Region, which is already placed in Tier 3 on the Government's new Covid alert level system, pubs, bars and casinos have already been forced to close as well as soft play centres.
It is likely that a second lockdown scenario would see these businesses as well as adult gaming centres and betting shops ordered to close in areas where they're currently still allowed to be open.
Essential shops will stay open but it is unclear what will happen to non-essential businesses.
Wales is currently banning the sale of non-essential items at its supermarkets and all non-essential shops are closed.
