England’s exit from Covid lockdown on 21 June is likely to be delayed by up to four weeks amid a surge in the Delta variant of the virus.
Government sources say the prime minister will address the public on Monday after meeting with senior ministers over the weekend.
It comes just hours after fresh data revealed the Covid R number - rate of reproduction - had jumped to between 1.2 and 1.4, up from 1 and 1.2 last week.
Public Health England warned that data suggested cases of the Delta variant were estimated to be doubling every four and a half days in parts of England.
Earlier, British Medical Association chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said that cases are now “rising rapidly” and the UK would not have enough people fully vaccinated in time for the easing of restrictions.
