This is where Bedford has ranked in the government's Covid-19 three-tier system

Bedford has been ranked in the "medium" tier of the government's new three-tier system.

Areas that fall into “medium” tier have to continue to abide by the 10pm curfew for bars, pubs and restaurants, and gatherings of more than six people are banned, apart from some settings such as funerals and weddings.

This comes after the news last nightthat there were 14 new cases in Bedford in 24 hours, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.

In an effort to address the rising infection rates, the PM has introduced the three-tier system for local lockdowns, which means different parts of England have been placed into different categories.

Areas in England will now be labelled as medium, high or very high risk, depending on their infection rates, which will inform the “appropriate interventions” needed in each area.

In the "very high" tier is Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens, Sefton, Halton).

The "very high" tier means there can be no mixing of households indoors and outdoors, including in private gardens, pubs and bars are to close, restaurants and pubs that can operate as restaurants are allowed to stay open.

Local politicians will decide if gyms, betting shops, casinos, hairdressers and beauty salons should close; non-essential shops, schools and universities will remain open; non-essential travel should be avoided; travelling outside the area is advised against.

The "high" tier includes:

Cheshire (Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East), Greater Manchester (Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Salford, Rochdale, Oldham), Warrington

Derbyshire (High Peak - the wards of Tintwistle, Padfield, Dinting, St John’s, Old Glossop, Whitfield, Simmondley, Gamesley, Howard Town, Hadfield South, Hadfield North)

Lancashire (Lancashire, Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley)

West Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, Wakefield)

South Yorkshire (Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster, Sheffield)

North East (Newcastle, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, Northumberland)

Tees Valley (Middlesborough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool)

West Midlands (Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall)

Leicester (Leicester, Oadby and Wigston)

Nottingham (Nottinghamshire, Nottingham City)

These places in the "high" tier are not allowed to mix with other households indoors and only two households can meet in a private garden - rule of six and social distancing rules apply

And in the "medium" tier is everywhere else which has not been mentioned in the "high" or "very high".