Three-quarters of England will be placed under tier 4 restrictions just a few days before the Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca is rolled out across the UK.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that tougher measures were needed as the daily number of Covid deaths reached nearly 1,000 – the highest since April – with more than 50,000 confirmed cases.
Several areas including Liverpool were moved up into tier 3, meaning that every area of the country apart from the Isles of Scilly will be under the toughest measures from Thursday.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, which has been described as a "game changer", was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Wednesday morning and is due to be rolled out from Monday.
The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine - enough to vaccinate 50 million people.
