Coronavirus UK Update Live: Latest News from Level 4 as Boxing Day sees tougher measures across the country

With six million more people now at Level 4 as the Boxing Day changes went into effect, a member of the Independent Sage has asked why this is not more:

France has reported its first confirmed case of the new variant of the coronavirus, in a French citizen who had traveled to the country from London.

In Northern Ireland, a six-week lockdown begins on December 26, with close contact and nonessential retail services closed and hospitality establishments limited to take-out services.

In the week following Christmas, a form of curfew will be in operation starting at 8 p.m., with stores closed thereafter and all indoor and outdoor gatherings prohibited until 6 a.m.

Tough new restrictions were re-imposed on Saturday and eased in Wales for Christmas Day.

Learn more about the country’s national lockdown here:

Coronavirus restrictions have also been increased in Scotland in response to a new variant of the virus.

The mainland entered level 4, the most difficult level, on Boxing Day, while the islands moved to level 3 of the five-level restriction system.

At the highest level, all non-essential retail and hospitality will be forced to close.

Additional PA reports

While even more areas have moved to level 4, other parts of England have also moved up one level, but avoiding the stricter level of restrictions.

Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, including the council area of ​​North Somerset, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire, as well as Cheshire and Warrington, are rising to Level 3.

At the “very high” alert level, indoor or outdoor domestic mixing is not allowed, except in public parks and gardens. All hospitality is closed except for take-out and deliveries, and lodging and entertainment venues must close.

Cornwall and Herefordshire are moving to Level 2, where the main restrictions are that domestic mixing is not allowed indoors, but the ‘rule of six’ applies outdoors. Hospitality venues should close unless serving large meals with drinks.

Isles of Scilly is the only part of England that remains at level 1, as Rory sullivan has reported:

Additional reports from the Press Association

Six million more people now live in Level 4 areas in England, after the changes went into effect on December 26.

This means that 24 million, or 43 percent of the country’s population, are now under the strictest level of restrictions, where all non-essential shops and businesses must close, no one can enter or leave the area and no one is allowed domestic mixing, although one person may meet another person outside in a public space.

New Level 4 areas include Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Find out more at Andrew Woodcockreport after changes were announced: