PARTS of the North-East will be placed into a local lockdown at midnight tonight after a sharp rise in the number of new cases - but how did we get here?

Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland are affected by new measures.

Measures include a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, and a ban on socialising with people from outside your own household.

But the idea of a local lockdown in the region has been floated for the past two weeks after Gateshead and South Tyneside became 'areas of concern'.

The North-East started to see a dramatic climb in the number of Covid-19 cases towards the end of August - with more and more postcode areas reporting new cases.

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northumberland have increased by 175 per cent over the past three weeks from 49 a week to 86.

Northumberland had an infection rate of 26 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week 7 Sep-13 Sep. The average area in England had 18.

There have been 277 coronavirus-related deaths registered up to September 4.

Data from Public Health England reveals the Northumberland areas with the highest number of cases

The map, which is based on Public Health England data, flags up areas where there has been more than two confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Hexham Courant:

There were four confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the area of Dissington, Stamfordham and Heddon from September 6 to September 12.

All other areas in the Tyne Valley recorded 0-2 cases.

Latest data, published yesterday, confirmed South Tyneside had the region's highest infection rate.

South Tyneside - 1,293 cases - 856.4

Sunderland - 2,319 cases - 835.1

Gateshead - 1,676 cases - 829.5

County Durham - 3,928 cases - 741

Newcastle upon Tyne - 2,085 cases - 688.5

Northumberland - 1,851cases - 574.1

North Tyneside - 1,168 cases - 561.8