Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce details of what and how new guidelines about coronavirus will be implemented when the current period of lockdown ends on Wednesday, December 2.

Then the second national lockdown was imposed Shotley peninsula was graded in Tier One, along with the rest of Babergh, but on the resumption it is expected the government will make changes in the levels of restrictions imposed in each tier.

Mr Johnson will brief the nation this afternoon (Monday, November 23) and it may not be until Thursday that Babergh knows which tier it is in as further evaluations are undertaken.

It is also expected Mr Johnson will announce an easing of restrictions over the Christmas period.

Mr Johnson has indicated that a number of areas that were in Tier One at lockdown may be lifted into Tier Two and a large rise on confirmed Covid cases in the district, and Babergh in particular could see the town being placed in a higher tier.

Confirmed cases at schools, including Holbrook Academy, and care homes has pushed the average figures to the district's highest level since statistics were started.

However, new cases in Babergh and Ipswich dropped by almost 10 per cent last week, with the districts having recorded 130 cases and 125 cases respectively, while rates have also dropped in neighbouring Mid Suffolk, where cases reduced by almost 20 per cent to just 61.

Some of the changes anticipated to be announced day:

Gyms and non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen when England's lockdown ends.

While parts of the tier system may be tougher, the 10pm closing time for pubs and restaurants will be relaxed.

And the ban on outdoor grassroots sport is also set to be lifted.

Mr Johnson is also expected to announce that mass testing will be introduced in all Tier Three areas. Rapid testing with military support, as used in Liverpool, will form part of the stricter system.

Testing will also be rolled out for care home visitors across England from next month - with every care home resident able to have two visitors tested twice a week.

It means people who live in care homes will be able to hug relatives by the end of the year, the government has said.

More areas are set to be placed in the higher tiers - high risk or very high risk - after lockdown, No 10 has said.

The PM had hoped to announce arrangements for the Christmas period today, but this has been delayed until at least tomorrow to allow the Scottish and Welsh cabinets to agree the plans.

It comes after the government said the UK's four nations had backed plans to allow some household mixing "for a small number of days" over Christmas.

It has been reported that one option that was discussed in meetings this weekend was that three households could be allowed to meet up for up to five days.