More parts of Nottinghamshire will enter the toughest Tier 3 lockdown later this week.
The Government has extended the restrictions, initially covering southern parts of the county – including Nottingham city – which were set to come in at midnight tonight.
Instead, the whole of the county will now go into restrictions from Friday – subject to last-minute changes.
The decision for a blanket ban across the county was announced as crunch talks between councils and the Government concluded.
Details about the financial package for affected businesses and workers is expected to be published later.
Tier 3 is the highest alert level and means pubs, bars and restaurants can stay open to 10pm if they serve meals and you can only go to them with people your direct support bubble or household.
Gyms could be closed, depending on local area decisions, and shops will stay open but journeys should be kept to a minimum.
A review will take place after four weeks.
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The Nottingham Post is reporting the city and county will be placed into the measures from one minute past midnight on Friday (October 30) as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
It means the initial plan to move just Nottingham, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe into the Tier 3 restrictions has been delayed by 24 hours, with Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, Ashfield and Bassetlaw now set to follow suit.
It follows talks between council bosses in north Nottinghamshire and the Government on Wednesday morning, with ministers delaying their initial plans to factor in spikes across the northern districts.
Data accurate to October 24 shows Mansfield, Ashfield and Bassetlaw’s rates have soared to above 300 cases per 100,000 people, with Mansfield’s rate now very similar to the rate in Broxtowe.
Coun Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, was present at the meeting on Wednesday.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: “The whole county is going into Tier 3 lockdown at one minute past midnight on Friday morning, and this will last for 28 days.
“It wasn’t really a consultation or asking what we are okay with, it was them telling us that we are doing it.
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“The CCG and health leaders were pressing that if they don’t get a grip on the curve then hospitals won’t have capacity to cope.
“In Mansfield and Ashfield the whole problem is with the over 60s, and the curve is going up dramatically with people in intensive care and needing ventilator treatment.
“The main concession we got is that they wanted to implement it tonight at midnight which was frankly a joke.
“It was the main argument of the meeting but it would have meant giving a load of businesses 12 hour’s notice to close. That is ludicrous and it would have been us having to do it.”