WARRINGTON is set to find out if it will remain in tier 2 lockdown restrictions later today, Thursday.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to announce the outcome of its review of the tier system late on Thursday morning, with reports suggesting the number of people living under the toughest restrictions could increase.

But Warrington Borough Council is expecting the town to remain under tier 2 rules when they announcement is made. The next review will be after Christmas.

Warrington has seen a slight rise in cases in recent days and Warrington Hospital still has more patients with Covid-19 than during the peak of the first wave in April.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted he did not want to "cancel" Christmas, but said people should prepare for a "smaller, safer" festive period amid fears about the spread of coronavirus.

Confirming the so-called "Christmas window" allowing three households to join together between December 23 and 27 would go ahead, Mr Johnson said people would be left to make individual judgments on whether Christmas celebrations were worth the risk, with warnings to avoid elderly relatives and a recommendation to isolate beforehand.

The latest data shows 255 (81%) of the 315 local areas in England have seen a rise in case rates and 60 (19%) have seen a fall.

The Government said a further 612 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK as of Wednesday, while a further 25,161 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported.

More than 34 million people, or 61% of England's population, are currently living under the strictest Covid measures after London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire moved into Tier 3 on Wednesday.

Tier 3 only allows restaurants to operate as takeaways or click and collect.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said the Government was right to make that move in the South East, stating: "It must now urgently consider adding other areas to that tier where infection rates are similarly worrying."

He added: "If the government is going to stick with its current approach to the Christmas regulations, it must also ensure that its decisions on which area is in which tier are as robust as possible.

"That means no delay in adding any area to Tier 3 that needs to be in that tier, and no premature removal of any area from it, either."

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said there was a "clear case" for the region being eased into Tier 2, while the leader of Preston City Council, Cllr Matthew Brown, said he believed Lancashire will stay in Tier 3.