Britain's Health Secretary was unable to rule out an extension to the latest lockdown as a health chief warned the tiered system that ministers want England to return to may have to be strengthened.
Matt Hancock said it was "too early for us to know" whether coronavirus cases will be brought down sufficiently to ease the second shutdown on 2 December.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes the nation will return to local restrictions, but Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins - standing alongside Mr Hancock at the Downing Street press conference yesterday - said the lowest tier of earlier measures had had "little effect".