AS ST HELENS and the region is placed under new lockdown measures from today, Tuesday, many people are wondering when we can expect the restrictions to be lifted.

During the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that local lockdowns would be introduced if there were subsequent outbreaks.

The first was introduced in Leicester on June 29, following a spike in coronavirus cases across the city.

Cases initially dropped, but rebounded in July.

On September 8, some businesses and venues were allowed to reopen. However, some restrictions remain.

The next review will take place by 24 September – almost three months on from the local lockdown being implemented.

READ > Local lockdown: What you can and can't do from Tuesday

Restrictions in Aberdeen were introduced in August but later lifted, however it is important to note all of the city’s bars and restaurants were closed, and a five-mile limit on recreational travel was imposed.

Bars and hospitality venues were also shut in Bolton on September 8, following a rise in cases at the end of August.

The government says local lockdown restrictions will be in place until the risk of the spread of coronavirus has reduced, when they can be relaxed.

The situations are regularly reviewed and when the number of infections falls, restrictions start to be eased again.

Experts, have questioned the effectiveness of these partial lockdowns, warning that to reduce the spread of coronavirus, they need to be more stringent and combined with other measures, such as a well-functioning test-and-trace system, Financial Times reports.

FT also said top scientists from The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-m) have suggested a national lockdown should coincide with half term to minimise the disruption to schools.

Boris Johnson has told MPs he wants to avoid a second lockdown in England, saying it would be “completely wrong for this country.”

But it’s clear from looking at other regions that local lockdowns can last weeks, if not months.