Bracknell could be one of four areas that might be at risk of going into Tier 3 coronavirus lockdown this week, according to fresh app data.

Areas in Berkshire in Tier 2 including Bracknell, Reading, Windsor and Maidenhead and West Berkshire, are seeing coronavirus cases rise per 100,000 in the general population and for the over 60s go up.

READ MORE: Coronavirus in Berkshire round up - Sunday, December 13

This could potentially put them at risk of moving into tougher restrictions when the Tiers are reviewed on December 16.

It is important to note these estimated rates are based on data from the Covid Symptom Study, an app run by experts at ZOE and Kings College London.

The estimates form part of their daily report for December 8, which is then presented to the government.

It is based on around one million app users self-reporting how they feel and the proportion of newly symptomatic users who have had positive swab tests.

ALSO READ: Council leader responds to claims Bracknell Forest is heading for tier three next week

According to the Covid Symptom Study report for December 8, Bracknell's prevalence rate per 100,000 is 439.

These figures "imply an increase in prevalence in the past week", the report adds

They are, by far, not the highest prevalence rates reported in different areas - for example, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's prevalence rate per 100,000 is 808 - but the cases in other areas are decreasing, according to the app.

The leader of Bracknell Forest Council has responded to claims the borough could be placed into tier three coronavirus restrictions this week in light of the symptom study app.

Speaking about the rising case rates, Cllr Paul Bettison said: “It concerns me, and anybody else who says they’re not concerned is very strange indeed.

“It concerns me, especially because we have Christmas coming up and we had all anticipated a spike by Christmas."

The government has said it will decide which Tiers are applied in each area using five measures - including case detection rates in all age groups, the rate at which infections are rising or falling, and the predicted strain on the NHS.