Millions more people in England will face escalated Covid-19 lockdown measures from St Stephens Day, as ministers acknowledged mounting concern about the spread of coronavirus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant coronavirus was spreading at a "dangerous rate" as he announced the fresh Tier 4 restrictions.
He also said cases of another new mutant coronavirus linked to South Africa had been found in Britain, and imposed new travel restrictions for the country.
Areas moving to the toughest Tier 4 measures - where there is a stay at home order - from St Stephens Day include Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.