Cumbria awaits news on whether it will see new Covid-19 restrictions put in place in the south of the county, amid differing coronavirus pictures between areas.

While new cases of Covid-19 continue to be identified across the county, a contrast has emerged in the urgency of the situation.

It was announced on Thursday that the current rate of infection across Barrow is now at 200 people per 100,000 per week - one of the 15 highest rates in England.

However this pattern appears not to be replicated in the north of the county.

A total of 16 new Covid-19 cases were identified in Carlisle yesterday, bringing its cumulative coronavirus total to 985 since the pandemic began.

The cumulative total of cases in Barrow has now outstripped the north Cumbrian city, with a further 28 cases identified yesterday bringing its total to 993.

This is particularly telling given that the population of the south Cumbrian borough is significantly smaller - about 67,000 compared to more than 108,000.

The alarming case numbers in Barrow prompted a call from local political leaders for the Government to put in place legal restrictions on households gathering in a bid to arrest the climbing Covid-19 numbers.

Barrow is - at present - the only area the multi-agency Cumbria Health Protection Board is seeking stronger restrictions for.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said the authority is "anticipating a likely announcement from Government at the start of next week" on whether any legal measures will be put in place.

"In the meantime we must stress the seriousness of the situation in Barrow and would urge people follow the current guidance fully.”

Cumbria's public health director Colin Cox stressed this week that the "picture is changing rapidly" across Cumbria, and that complacency over Covid-19 in places like Carlisle would be misguided.

“Most of Cumbria is still behind other areas of the region in terms of the Covid-19 infection rate but the picture is changing rapidly and all areas are clearly heading in the wrong direction.

"The steps we’ve taken in relation to Barrow reflect the deep concern about the situation and the collective determination to get on top of it and avoid even stricter measures.

“We’re monitoring the rest of the county closely and are inevitably considering if and when it might be necessary to take further action to slow the spread.

"The best thing that people can do to avoid that scenario is follow the public health advice - limit your social contact, cover your face, wash your hands and be responsible. We all have a role to play in protecting each other.”

Peter Thornton, Cumbria County Council's deputy leader, said that he hoped residents recognised the seriousness of the situation facing the town at present.

Mr Thornton stressed that it is hoped that by imposing restrictions on the mixing of households, more severe and more economically damaging lockdowns would be avoided.

"We were not asking to close down hospitality, rather we were looking to ease off on the contact between households," he said.

"The hope was that if everyone did this, we would avoid a further, more damaging lockdown.

"We're desperate to avoid an economic lockdown if we can."

Mr Thornton noted the unanimity of the desire to see local restrictions put in place across Barrow.

"We all agreed a way forward - Conservative MP for Barrow Simon Fell, Barrow Borough Council's Labour leader Anne Thompson and myself, a Liberal Democrat county councillor.

"We don't agree on much but we agreed on this.

"We have all three parties in step together on this, which I think was a powerful symbol."

Should the recommendations - or eventually the laws - for each part of Cumbria be strictly observed, Mr Thornton said he was confident progress could be made in curbing the rise in cases.

"I'm fairly confident that if people follow the recommendations, which may become mandatory, I think we can certainly have a big impact.

"It does need people to follow them. I fully understand the problems it causes."

"Under these new regulations, if they came to my area I wouldn't be able to visit my granddaughter on her birthday. I do understand how difficult it is.

"What I do know is that if we do nothing, it will keep on rising, and we will probably enter an economic lockdown.

"That would be hugely damaging."