England faces lockdown in days after highest rise in coronavirus cases since May 8 with Nightingale wards on standby

, Mr Hancock delivered the strongest warning the entire country was looking at a new lockdown.

He said: "The last line of defence is full national action and I don't want to see that but we will do whatever is necessary to keep people safe in a very difficult pandemic."

He told Times Radio: "The last line of defence is national action."

NIGHTINGALES PREPARE

And the Nightingale hospital in Birmingham has been put on "high alert" and been told to get ready for an influx of patients as cases have spiralled out of control.

The Government said that as of 9am on Friday, there had been a further 4,322 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

That's the highest number since May 8 - when there were 4,649 fresh cases.

Overall, 385,936 cases have been confirmed.It also said a further 27 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Friday.

Dr David Rosser, the chief executive of University Hospitals Birmingham, said the site was being geared up so that it could be ready to bring seriously sick patients in within 48-72 hours.

There are currently 14 patients in intensive care.

Dr Rosser added that there was a desperate anxiety among local NHS staff, who had told him they aren't sure "they can go through it again".

He told a regional briefing: “Just today three new cases have come in.

“We hope we are over preparing but are nervous we are not.

“The levels of anxiety among our staff is beyond anything I have experienced in over 30 years. I have never known a clinical team so anxious in my 30 years about what is ahead.

“I have had staff saying to me they are not sure they can go through it again.”

It comes as

• Huge parts of the North East were put under strict local lockdown yesterday with 10pm curfews
• Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned a new national lockdown could be brought in
• Mr Hancock gave Brits a stern warning not to skip self isolation by getting tested
• London could be just two weeks away from lockdown with restricted opening hours for pubs and restaurants
• Hundreds of drinkers hit the town for a last boozy night out before a North East lockdown comes into force today
• Scores of coronavirus hotspots across the country have emerged in recent weeks
• Cases of the coronavirus are on the up in almost every region in England according to new data and the R rate has hit 1.4

R RATE UP

The crucial R rate - or rate of transmission of the virus - has climbed to 1.4 and cases are doubling every 7 days.

Government scientists from Sage today estimated the figure to be between a range of 1.1 and 1.4 for the whole of the UK, which has risen from between 1 and 1.2 last week.

Sage also said it is concerned coronavirus cases may currently be doubling as quickly as every seven days nationally, with transmission rates potentially even faster in some areas of the country."

An R number between 1.1 and 1.4 means that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 14 other people.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics today shows that there has been 6,000 new daily Covid infections from September 4 to September 10.

That's double last week it was estimated that 3,200 a day were being infected by the virus.

MORE LOCAL LOCKDOWNS

Around 12 million people in the UK now have to follow tough restrictions.

As well as the new lockdowns, other areas of Lancashire, including Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Preston had already been placed under local lockdown rules.

Announcing the new measures, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said today: "We are seeing cases of coronavirus rise fast in Lancashire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, Warrington, Halton and Wolverhampton.

"Local leaders in these areas have asked for stronger restrictions to be put in place to protect local people, and we are acting decisively to support them.

“I know these restrictions will make every-day life harder for many, but I know that residents will work together and respect the rules so we can reduce rates of transmission."

Officials acknowledged the impact these measures would have on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this weekend.

According to the weekly surveillance study by Public Health England, cases are only falling in only three places with local lockdown measures in place.

Leicestershire County Council's director of public health Mike Sandys urged residents to behave themselves as new cases were "off the scale".

He said: "This steep rise is off the scale - and underlines that residents need to change their behaviour.

"We know that the virus is spreading in communities so it makes sense for the Government to restrict mixing between households. This will be tough.

"But with no one source of infection, it really is down to us to stop the increase.

"Whether you're on the school run, travelling to work, in the office or going out for a drink, follow the guidance. The route out of this is changing our behaviour."

Mr Hancock today said that the number of "people being hospitalised is doubling every eight days" in a sign the virus is spreading exponentially again.

He warned: "The country once again needs to come together and recognise there is a serious challenge. That the virus is accelerating."

In light of the new lockdown measures in much of the North East of England, Scots have been told to avoid all but essential travel over the border to Northumberland, including for work and school, because of the surge in cases.

NHS Borders director of public health Dr Keith Allen told people only to cross into England for "essential purposes", according to The Scotsman. 

He said: "We are continuing to see increased numbers of cases of Covid-19 across the UK, with our neighbouring local authority area of Northumberland now facing restrictions on people mixing, and curfews in pubs." 

"As a result we recommend that people in the Borders should only be travelling to Northumberland for essential purposes such as school or work, and they should be extra vigilant."

Demand for tests has climbed throughout the country. It was not possible to book a slot in Liverpool, Wirral, Bury or Salford today, which are all areas within the top 20 highest infection rates in England.

Schools and workplaces are still able to remain open.