Health Secretary Matt Hancock is to make a live announcement to the nation with an update on coronavirus spread and regulations.
Mr Hancock will speak live from Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon after the Government held a series of emergency meetings.
It is expected at Mr Hancock will speak between 3pm and 3.30pm after reports more areas of the country could be moved into Tier 4.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries and Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England will join him.
The highest tier level means all non-essential businesses are closed and all non-essential travel is banned.
There are also reports the country may have to go into lockdown after Boxing Day to suppress the new variant coronavirus - which is 71 per cent more infectious.
The government’s Covid operations committee met this morning to consider whether to plunge more areas into lockdown.
Currently around 17million people in London and the South East are in a new ‘Tier 4’.
Experts from the NERVTAG subcommittee of SAGE gave evidence to MPs this morning.
There are fears Tier 3 will not be enough to stop the spread of the new variant, and national lockdown or wider use of Tier 4 may be needed.
