The UK is at risk of a third wave of coronavirus infections in January unless it gets the balance of restrictions right, a Cabinet minister has warned.
As reported by The Mirror, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also told the BBC he would not rule out a third national lockdown to combat another wave of the virus.
Asked if a third wave was a possibility, he said: "There's a risk of that if we don't get the balance right. But so far the R level is coming down, that's really important.
"And that's why we're starting with the tiered approach - more restrictive than some people would like, than previously, but that allows us to ease up - but only when..."
Host Andrew Marr interjected, asking whether, if the Government doesn't get the "behaviour" it wants now and over Christmas, there could be another national lockdown in the new year.
Mr Raab replied: "We're doing everything we can to avoid that."
Asked if he would back a fresh lockdown if it did happen, Mr Raab would not rule it out.
He said: "You're getting well ahead. I've explained the Government's exit strategy from, frankly, the current set of restrictions."
The new tiered restrictions come into force on Wednesday after the national lockdown ends.
