LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced bars and pubs will be closed in the worst-hit parts of England from Wednesday (Oct 14) to control a surge in coronavirus, but his top health adviser said it won't be enough.

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty issued the warning after the premier set out his plan for a three-tier system of Covid-19 alert levels, set at medium, high, and very high, to simplify the imposition of lockdown measures.

In the areas rated very high under the plan, there will be tighter restrictions on social mixing, bars and pubs will be closed and travel discouraged, but Prof Whitty said local authorities will need to take more action to get the virus under control.

"It is the case we are going to have to do more," Prof Whitty said. "Probably in some areas significantly more."

The latest version of the UK coronavirus strategy shows again the perils Mr Johnson is facing as he seeks to navigate a pandemic that pitches the protection of public health in direct opposition to the preservation of jobs.

The premier is grappling with another awkward calculation as many of the areas of northern and central England that voted for him in last year's election are now also among the districts where Covid-19 is spreading fastest.

Mr Johnson and his team know they can't avoid painful decisions as they seek to balance economic needs with virus control, but he suggested another national lockdown may yet be needed in future.

For now, the toughest measures will be brought into force from Wednesday in the Liverpool city region of northwest England, where the outbreak is most severe. Bars will only be able to open if they serve "substantial" meals, Mr Johnson's office said.

"I take no pleasure whatsoever in placing restrictions on these businesses," Mr Johnson said. "Nor do I want to stop people enjoying themselves. But we must act to save lives."

As well as pubs and bars being forced to close, households in the Liverpool region will be banned from mixing indoors and in private gardens. People will also be advised against travelling into and out of the area, except for work, school or if they are passing through. Gyms and casinos will also close.

Mr Johnson said he wants similar restrictions to apply in Greater Manchester, where cases are also soaring, but indicated local leaders have not yet agreed.

Talks will continue with local leaders in the coming days and weeks, the premier said. He did not mention new restrictions in London, but the capital's Evening Standard newspaper said it could be moved to the "high", or second, level in the coming weeks.

Mr Johnson immediately ran into criticism from his own side, including from Andy Street, the usually loyal mayor of the West Midlands, who said he is "very disappointed" his region has been placed in the "high" tier. He warned pubs and restaurants will be hit by a ban on households mixing.

"This is not something regional leaders supported, nor what I believed would be happening following extensive conversations over recent days," Mr Street said in a statement. Other Conservatives raised doubts and objections to Mr Johnson's strategy in Parliament.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the system of local lockdowns has not worked so far during the pandemic and clashed with Mr Johnson over the "serial failure" of the test and trace system.

"I'm now deeply sceptical the government has actually got a plan to get control of this virus," he told Parliament.

Earlier on Monday, senior medical officials painted a grim picture of the resurgent outbreak, pointing to rising cases, hospital admissions and deaths, especially in northern England. Three so-called Nightingale overflow hospitals are being put on standby to cope with an expected surge in admissions.

Some local MPs said they were given little or no notice about the restrictions, despite government promises to keep them informed. Some were travelling by train to Parliament and were told to join a government briefing minutes before it started.

Labour's Louise Haigh said she was told after the call had begun, while Wigan MP Lisa Nandy said she wasn't told at all.

Elsewhere in Europe, several other nations are preparing additional steps to contain the virus. German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a cabinet-level meeting Monday, though there are unlikely to be any decisions on new measures until she meets with the premiers of the country's 16 states on Wednesday.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to order new restrictions targeting nightlife, social events and amateur sports, while urging companies to boost remote working. Under a decree that could be issued as early as Monday evening, bars and restaurants may have to close by midnight, and people could be prohibited from gathering outside between 9pm and 6am.

The Czech Republic tightened social distancing rules and closed down schools, restaurants and bars through early November as it sought to stem the European Union's fastest surge in the pandemic.