There are fears Swindon could be the next UK town plunged into a local lockdown because it has the highest coronavirus rate in the south of England.
It is said ministers are worried after 66 people tested positive for Covid-19 in just four days in the Wiltshire town, which is on the Government's watch list.
They fear the sudden rise in cases will require special measures similar to those that were imposed in the North West and Yorkshire to curb the spread of the virus.
Public Health England said 66 new cases had been confirmed in Swindon between Friday and Tuesday. These latest cases are not reflected in Swindon's current rolling seven-day rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 people, which runs only to last Friday.