Liverpool and the whole of Merseyside have been placed in the UK's coronavirus watchlist after a surge in the number of cases.
The Government has announced that Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens will all be closely monitored and could be offered additional support in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said leaders in the region will now have to report back to the Government on measures being taken to avoid a local lockdown in the region, reports The Echo.
If the cases continue to rise in places that have been placed on the watchlist then extra restrictions may be imposed.
Mayor Anderson said: "As expected we have had confirmation that the whole Merseyside region is now on the government's coronavirus watch list.
"This means we are being monitored and could be close to local lockdown measures.
"We will not be taking very serious action against any businesses that are not complying with coronavirus safety measures as we do everything we can to avoid more restrictions."
Liverpool's infection rate has rocketed in recent days and now stands at more than 60 cases per 100,000 following a 7-day period where more than 300 new cases were confirmed.
Speaking at a city council cabinet meeting this morning, Liverpool's Public Health Director said the rise in cases in Liverpool was 'very concerning.'
He said: "This is a very concerning situation for us, there has been a very rapid rise in infections.
“These cases are rising across the whole city, we are experiencing widespread community transmission of Covid-19.”
