PUBLIC health officials in Dorset expect the county’s two local authority areas to be put in the lowest category under the new national tiered coronavirus rules system.

Covering the entirety of England, the new regulations were announced by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday who said the “simplified” ranking approach was needed considering the rising number of infections.

And although official confirmation has yet to be given, a spokesman for Public Health Dorset said given the set thresholds and current case numbers in the county, it “would be in the lowest (“medium”) tier”.

Announced in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, the new system will replace the approach that had been used up until now.

All you need to know from Boris Johnson's three-tier lockdown announcement

Three tiers – medium, high and very high – will be brought in with the lowest being made up of the existing English rules, including the “rule of six” and the 10pm curfew.

Liverpool will come under the strictest “very high” regulations from Wednesday in a bid to curb rising infections and will involve the closure of pubs, gyms and leisure centres.

Most of England is expected to fall into the “medium” tier although confirmation for individual local authority areas has yet to be made officially.

A spokesman for Public Health Dorset, which is overseeing much of the coronavirus response in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset council areas, said this would be the case in the county too.

LIVE: Covid lockdown rules to change as Boris Johnson outlines three-tier plan

“There hasn’t been any official confirmation yet but given the thresholds and our current levels we would be in the lowest ‘medium’ tier,” they said.

Further details of the new tiered system are expected this evening.