AS coronavirus cases start to creep back up, all attention nationally turns to how we can keep a lid on the virus and prevent a second wave.

More than 3,500 confirmed cases were recorded in the UK last Friday alone, and there are grave concerns that this number will continue to rise.

The threat of a second spike is large and the fact that lockdown restrictions were placed on most of the North East just this week highlights how close to home this all is once again.

We as a nation all have our part to play in preventing a rise in figures, and we have to do all in our power to do so.

But what measures, different to the ones we have been doing since March, can we implement?

Well, Carlisle City Councillor David Shepherd has come up with the novel idea of introducing a ratings system along the lines of food hygiene rankings to businesses throughout the county.

Mr Shepherd has said businesses should be ranked on how well they are adapting to the Government’s guidelines and how hard they are working to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

With people trying to get their lives back to as normal as possible, they are once again visiting businesses and they may be coming into harm’s way by a lack of cooperation by some.

So this idea to rank, almost as a way of naming and shaming those businesses not playing ball, sounds a good one, and it is a surefire way to ensure safety measures are the best they can be.

With local authorities now being given powers in law from the Government to take action against establishments that are failing to comply with Covid-19 rules, perhaps now is the time for Carlisle City Council to take the lead and show that businesses need to take the threat of a second wave very seriously.