Dozens of English towns and cities could soon be forced back into strict coronavirus lockdown

• Parts of England could be locked down again 'within days' according to a report.
• Health officials told Sky News that parts of London could be among dozens of areas at risk of a new outbreak.
• Leicester became the first English city to be returned to lockdown this week.

Dozens of parts of England could be placed back in lockdown within days, according to a report.

Sky News reported that the city of Bradford and some boroughs in London, including Brent and Harrow, could be returning to a lockdown.

Sources from Public Health England and the Department of Health told Sky that lockdown could be implemented in those areas in "just days."

It comes after multiple reports said 36 "at-risk" areas have been identified across England, where coronavirus cases are rising quickly, and which health officials are monitoring to determine if lockdown restrictions should be reimposed.

Leicester became the first city to return to local lockdown this week after a spike in coronavirus cases which has been partially linked to allegations that thousands of workers were forced to work secretly in factories at the height of the crisis even when they were sick.

The report cited concerns that the lockdowns could be linked to the fact that the uptick in cases could be linked to the fact there are high numbers of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people in those areas.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, confirmed in June that BAME people were dying "disproportionately" from the virus. Suggested reasons for the disparity include structural racism, housing conditions, housing conditions, and health inequality.

Leicester, Brent, and Harrow all have high numbers of overcrowded homes, Sky News reported.

The broadcaster suggests that the 36 at-risk areas are:

• Barking and Dagenham
• Brent
• Derbyshire
• Doncaster
• Ealing
• Enfield
• Gateshead
• Gloucestershire
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• Haringey
• Harrow
• Havering
• Hounslow
• Isle of Wight
• Kensington and Chelsea
• Leicester (already in local lockdown)
• Medway
• Milton Keynes
• Plymouth
• Portsmouth
• Redbridge
• Redcar and Cleveland
• Richmond upon Thames
• Sandwell
• Slough
• Suffolk
• Sunderland
• Tower Hamlets
• Wakefield
• Walsall
• Wandsworth
• Westminster
• Wigan
• Wiltshire
• Windsor and Maidenhead
• York