A CONCERNING surge in coronavirus infection rates both locally and afar has prompted the Prime Minister to plunge England back into a third national lockdown.

The PM announced the latest move to tighter restrictions for the country during a government briefing last night.

It comes after health officials put the latest nationwide surge in cases down to a new mutant variant of the Covid-19 virus that is said to have a much higher transmission rate.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Prime minister announces new lockdown measures

As such, scores of places around the country have seen a dramatic rise in recent weeks and Berkshire hasn't escaped the spike in case numbers.

In the past fortnight, Covid-19 cases in the county have shot up from 20,812 positive cases on December 21, to 31,712 cases on January 4 - an increase of 10,900 cases in 14 days.

This increase in the past two weeks saw the seven-day infection rate per 100,000 people locally change as follows;

  • Reading - 372.7 (Dec 21) to 548.9 (Jan 4)
  • Bracknell - 359.9 (Dec 21) to 780.1 (Jan 4)
  • Wokingham - 278.8 (Dec 21) to 547 (Jan 4)
  • West Berkshire - 265.1 (Dec 21) to 377.4 (Jan 4)
  • Slough - 514.2 (Dec 21) to 1001.1 (Jan 4)
  • Windsor and Maidenhead - 238.4 (Dec 21) to 663.7 (Jan 4)

The latest local figures, published by Public Health England, show the biggest Berkshire increase in seven-day rates since December 21 was in Slough.

The town has seen its high number of cases rise in the past two weeks from 5,549 to 8,137 in total.

Close behind in seven-day infection rate rises in recent weeks is Windsor and Maidenhead where case numbers have increased from 3,211 two weeks ago to 5,088.

As well as Bracknell, where figures grew from 2,402 to 4,151 in just 14 days.

READ MORE: Coronavirus update in Berkshire - latest cases as lockdown looms on Monday, January 4

Other areas of Berkshire are also among those seeing a major spike in cases with Reading's total cases going from 3,975 to 5,706, Wokingham's total moving from 3,216 to 4,947, and West Berkshire from 2,459 cases to 3,683 in the latest figures.

The picture locally is one that is being reflected up and down the country.

As such, England will face a further national lockdown with measures expected to remain in place until mid February.

This includes limits on leaving homes including allowances only for essential food shops, for medical appointments or supplies, and exercise. The clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to begin shielding again.

Primary and secondary schools will close immediately and move to online learning for all pupils except children of key workers and the most vulnerable with GCSE and A-Level examinations in current form cancelled.