Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak to the nation this evening.
Mr Johnson is expected to confirm that there will be a delay to the so-called 'freedom day' of June 21.
The government had been hoping that it would be able to announce an end to all coronavirus restrictions on that date, which was set out in their roadmap.
But the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the virus, first discovered in India, is causing great concern and is likely a four week delay in restrictions being lifted.
Mr Johnson is likely to say that the delay is needed to get more people vaccinated, avoid further hospitalisations and prevent another lockdown.
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Mr Johnson said on Saturday that the spiralling numbers were a "serious, serious concern".
It is believed that the delay could be for four weeks, which would mean the next stage of the roadmap would not be before July 19.
It has just been confirmed that Mr Johnson will hold a press conference from Downing Street at 6pm today.
He will be joined at that press conference by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, who will give the scientific and medical explanations behind the need to delay the lifting of all restrictions.
The Daily Telegraph reports that when Mr Johnson addresses the nation at a Downing Street press conference he is expected to say that sticking to the rules now is worth it to avoid a future lockdown.
A senior government source was reported to have said: “The message has always been cautious but irreversible. That has been our mantra throughout and that continues.
“It would be far worse to have uncertainty and go backwards. It is better to be cautious and have certainty. It is one last heave. It is a straight race between the vaccine and the virus.”
It comes after the latest Covid figures show 7,738 cases in the last 24 hours – up 52.5% in a week. A further 187 patients were admitted to hospital – an increase of 15.2% on the rolling seven-day average.
