THE UKs coronavirus alert level is set to be raised to its highest, sources close to the Government have said.

The alert level, which was unveiled by the Government in May, is set to change to level five - which means there is a risk of the NHS being overwhelmed.

This afternoon, the UKs chief medical officers were understood to have agreed to raise the Covid alert level in response to a surge in Covid cases.

The alert level is based on a recommendation by the Joint Biosecurity Centre to the chief medical officers of the four nations - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Northern Echo:

It comes as the Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make a televised address setting out new emergency measures to control the spread of the virus.

SEE MORE: Boris Johnson to set out plan in TV speech at 8pm TONIGHT

Earlier today, a No 10 spokesman said: “The spread of the new variant of Covid-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.

“The Prime Minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives.”

Meanwhile the Health Secretary Matt Hancock this morning refused to rule out a national lockdown as Mr Johnson said tougher measures will be needed.

He said: “We don’t rule anything out, and we’ve shown repeatedly that we will look at the public health advice and we will take the public health advice in terms of what is needed to control the spread of the disease.

SEE MORE: The number of Covid cases by each postcode in the North-East

“This new variant is much easier to catch, it is much more transmissible, and we’re now seeing the effect of that in lots of different parts of the country, unfortunately.

“And it means that, whereas the old Tier 3 was able to contain the old variant, that is proving increasingly difficult in all parts of the country.”