"Likely" that Luton could end up in Tier 2 restrictions
Luton's Director of Public Health has told ITV News Anglia that it's likely that the town could end up in a Tier 2 restriction area after spike in Covid-19 cases.
Luton currently has one of the highest rates per 100,000 people in the East, at 118.3.
Gerry Taylor, the town's Health Director, urged people not to mix households and to reduce social interaction where possible, adding that transmission in the area was largely caused by house to house mixing.
She said: "It is likely that luton may end up being in Tier 2, the thresholds arent entirely clear yet, but we would like to be preventative rather than waiting for our figures to keep going up which is why we've been really calling for our population to keep working with us, as they have, to keep reducing these figures."
Luton is currently in Tier 1 - which is "High" - meaning people must observe the rule of six and bars and pubs must shut by 10pm.
If the town if moved up to Tier 2, alongside places like Essex, then households would be prevented from mixing, and people would be discouraged from using public transport.
The council are now asking people to reduce their social interaction outside their household and to strictly observe the social distancing rules.