The UK is at a tipping point in the fight against coronavirus , a top scientist has warned, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson today outlined a new three-tiered system of local restrictions called medium, high, and very high in England.

Under the very high level, betting shops, gyms and casinos will be shut, but pubs and restaurants may be spared if they serve meals, PA Media reported. No household mixing will be allowed either, which could affect millions of people living in areas with high COVID-19 rates across England.

Every area in England will be assigned a COVID-19 alert level under the measures, with the Liverpool city region placed in the most serious very high risk category from Wednesday.

It comes as Englands deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the country is at a tipping point similar to the first wave of coronavirus, but can prevent history repeating itself, PA Media reports.

He added: Earlier in the year, we were fighting a semi-invisible disease, about which we had little knowledge, and it seeded in the community at great speed.

Now we know where it is and how to tackle it lets grasp this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.

One leading scientist went further on Sunday , saying a second national lockdown is a possibility and stringent measures are needed to avoid it at all costs.

Professor Peter Horby, of the University of Oxford, told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that the country was in a precarious position with rising coronavirus case numbers, hospital admissions and deaths.