A view of a beer glass, at the Dispensary pub in Liverpool, England, Monday Oct 12, 2020. The British government has carved England into three tiers of risk in a bid to slow the spread of a resurgent coronavirus. The northern city of Liverpool is in the highest category and will close pubs, gyms and betting shops. Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the new system Monday in an orchestrated series of events that culminated with an address to the nation. “The trend in COVID related deaths is starting to rise quickly which is hugely concerning,'' said Dr. Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England.

The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that unemployment rose by 138,000 in the three months to August from the previous three-month period. The unemployment rate jumped to 4.5%, its highest rate since early 2017, from 4.1% in the previous quarter. Though unemployment has been edging up during the pandemic, with the likes of British Airways, Royal Mail and Rolls-Royce all laying off thousands, Britain has been spared the surge in unemployment seen in the United States. Further headwinds to the economy have emerged in recent weeks with the resurgence in the virus and the government's tightening of local restrictions. As a result, there are concerns that unemployment could soar towards 3 million, levels not seen since the early 1990s.