Boris Johnson says the government’s new three-tier alert system is a “balanced package”, adding that the government “could go now for a national lockdown again” but it didn’t “want to go down that extreme route right now’
The Prime Minister also says that He wants to “take local authorities with me” but adds that if he can’t get agreement “then clearly it is the duty of national government to take the necessary action”
He also says a relatively normal Christmas is possible, but it depends on the public sticking to his coronavirus rules.
Prof Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, says he is “not confident” that tier three proposals for the “very high” alert areas “would be enough to get on top of” the virus in those areas
He says there is “a lot of flexibility” for local authorities to add more restrictions on top of the “base” of tier three rules.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells a news conference he is taking a “balanced approach” to managing the virus
But he says he does not favour another national lockdown “right now” because it would harm the economy
Boris Johnson tells the Commons there will be a new three-level alert system for England – medium, high and very high
Liverpool will be on the highest level of alert, the PM says. He adds he does not want a new national lockdown
More people are in hospital with Covid than before lockdown in March, says NHS medical director Stephen Powis.
Top UK scientists have said NHS Nightingale hospitals are on stand-by in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate
Most A-level and GCSE exams in England will be delayed by three weeks in 2021
