Covid alert levels: How does the UK system work and what level are we now?

BORIS JOHNSON unveiled a “road map” for ending the UK coronavirus lockdown in June which included an “alert system”.

Although the alert level had dropped to 1, meaning infection rate is low, a spike in covid cases has seen it rise once again.

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What is the Covid-19 alert system?

The Prime Minister’s 5-point alert system ranks the threat level of the virus on a scale of one (green) to five (red).

The threat level system is adjusted and amended according to medical and scientific data.

Experts analyse data from hospitals along with track and trace information to get an accurate picture of infection rates.

Data used is similar to the figures and information announced on a daily basis.

The system is used in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – but are ran independently from each other.

What are the five levels?

The five-point Covid Alert system ranks the threat level of the virus on a scale of one (green) to five (red).

At the time of its unveiling, England sat at stage four (orange), and while the UK eventually dropped to 1 (green), the level has since risen again due to a spike in infections.

The purpose of the new system is to judge the levels of lockdown and the right time to ease restrictions in accordance with official data.

Lockdown measures will be gradually eased as the reproduction – or R rate – begins to fall.

Each new level represents a different stage in the restrictions with stage five (red) – the highest level – declared when hospitals are struggling to cope with admissions as the toughest lockdown rules are implemented.

Meanwhile, when at the lowest level, stage one (green), restrictions were relaxed allowing separate households to meet and people to go to bars and restaurants as the pressure on hospitals was reduced due to a low number of cases.