PRIME Minister Boris Johnson is set to unveil a new three-tier lockdown system with regions of England categorised as high, medium or low risk.

It is understood the low risk 'Tier 1' will see current social distancing measures, the “rule of six” and a pub curfew of 10pm enforced. This will include areas with fewer than 20 new cases per 100,000.

Areas in the medium risk 'Tier 2' will have the same restrictions plus a ban on households mixing. This will include areas with 20 to 50 new cases per 100,000.

And in the high risk 'Tier 3', people will not be able to mix households and pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses will be shut. This will include areas with more than 50 new cases per 100,000.

The announcement could be made as early as next week.

Using the average infection rate per 100,000 people, for the seven days to October 5, here we look at the areas of Essex which are at highest risk of going into Tier 3.

Data for the most recent three days (October 6-8) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

The first number is the rate given per 100,000 while the number in brackets is the number of new confirmed cases in the previous seven-day period.

High risk

Brentwood 79.2 (61)

Uttlesford 71.2 (65)

Basildon 68.9 (129)

Tendring 52.5 (77)

Castle Point 50.9 (46)

Medium risk

Southend 45.3 (83)

Thurrock 41.3 (72)

Colchester 37.0 (72)

Braintree 36.7 (56)

Rochford 20.6 (18)

Low risk

Maldon 26.2 (17)