The Government is reportedly on the verge of toughening lockdown rules for swathes of England under its new three-tier system.
Greater Manchester and Lancashire could be taken into the top 'very high' risk category as early as tomorrow, meaning the closure of pubs, and others could soon follow.
Sadiq Khan is also warning Londoners to expect the capital to be elevated to Tier 2 - meaning household visits and indoor socialising are banned.
Currently, only Liverpool and the wider Merseyside region are in Tier 3 - with pubs, gyms and betting shops shut. But soaring infections laid bare by the latest area-by-area coronavirus data indicate many more places could be poised to follow.