Millions more people in England will be placed into lockdown from Boxing Day, like in Scotland, as ministers acknowledged mounting concern about the spread of coronavirus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was left in "no doubt" stricter measures were needed to curb the worrying inflation of confirmed cases over the last week.
Speaking during today's Downing Street press conference, said that cases had risen “57 per cent across the country in the last week”.
As result big changes are being made in Tiers across England from from midnight on Christmas Day with several moving into the highest level of restriction similar to the level four restrictions being introduced in Scotland at the same time.
Hancock said: “We simply cannot have the Christmas that we all yearn for.”
It came as Hancock revealed a new and "highly transmissible" strain of coronavirus has been detected in the UK after appearing first in South Africa.
Hancock said two confirmed cases of the new strain have been found in the UK which he said was “highly concerning”.
He added “Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks.”
“This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK.”
The Health Secretary said both cases and close contacts of the cases have been quarantined.
There are immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa and the Government is telling those who have been in contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight that they must quarantine.
