PM Boris Johnson says coronavirus rules could be even further tightened
In a TV address he said there had been too many breaches
He called on the British public to 'get through the winter together'
Pubs, bars and restaurants must close at 22:00 from Thursday in England and Wales, and from Friday in Scotland
Different households not allowed to meet indoors in Scotland from Friday, the first minister says
Children under 12 in Scotland are to be exempt from all outdoor household meeting limits
The US coronavirus death toll has passed 200,000, Johns Hopkins University says
Cases in Mexico surpass 700,000 - Latin America is the worst hit region
Over 31.2 million Covid-19 cases are confirmed worldwide, with more than 960,000 deaths
The PM says it is not a realistic option to "simply lock up the elderly and the vulnerable". That's because the virus would still "rip through" the rest of the population and get to these groups "in much greater numbers".
Those who flout the rules will face penalties of up to £10,000, with police on the streets and "the Army to backfill if necessary", Boris Johnson warns.
The PM says the new rules - including those closing pubs, cafes and restaurants earlier and expanding the use of face coverings - are necessary.
These are backed by all the main political parties and are "robust and proportionate", he adds.
Boris Johnson mentions people "who say we don’t need this stuff, and we should leave people to take their own risks", telling them that "these risks are not our own".
One person's mild cough "can be someone else's death knell", he says.
Infection rates are rising in Spain and France and the virus is "no less fatal" than in the spring, Boris Johnson says. And "the iron laws of geometrical progression are shouting at us from the graphs that we risk many more deaths, many more families losing loved ones before their time," he adds.
But the "single greatest weapon" against this is "common sense" and "joint resolve".
The prime minister invokes the spirit of the lockdown, during which the country "pulled together in a spirit of national sacrifice and community" and followed guidance "to the letter". This kept the coronavirus at bay, he adds.
But there have been "too many breaches" of the rules more recently and the virus has started spreading "in an exponential way", he says.
Boris Johnson begins his address by striking a sombre tone, calling coronavirus "the single biggest crisis the world has faced in my lifetime". But he insists he is certain "this is a struggle that humanity will win".
And this, the PM argues, will involve making choices, "none of them easy".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's TV statement will begin in five minutes' time.
You can watch using the video player above - and stay with us for the latest here.
As we await Boris Johnson's TV address in around fifteen minutes, what are the new restrictions for England he announced earlier?
Among the new rules, all pubs, bars and restaurants will be restricted to table service only and will have to have a 10pm closing time.
Retail staff and customers in indoor hospitality venues will also have to wear masks, except when seated at a table to eat or drink.
You can read a summary of the new rules, and those in other areas of the UK, here.
Image source, PA MediaIf you're just joining us, we're expecting to hear from Boris Johnson in around half an hour, when he will deliver a TV statement after announcing new Covid-19 restrictions for England in Parliament earlier.
There are also new rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and the leaders of the devolved governments will also be giving TV addresses this evening.
You'll be able to watch the PM's statement on this page, and we'll be bringing you the latest updates.
Here's the latest information from the UK government on the number of coronavirus cases and coronavirus-related deaths.
Image source, bbc
Image source, ReutersA partial return of fans had already been trialed at some football games.
Plans to pause a return of fans to live sporting events from next month have been greeted with disappointment in the world of English football.
Proposals for a staged return to the stands will now be reviewed after the rise in Covid-19 cases.
Nicola Palios, vice-chair of fourth division Tranmere Rovers, fears the postponement could have a "devastating impact" and lead to clubs folding.
"A lot of clubs were already having financial difficulties before this pandemic started and this may sadly tip some of them over the edge," she said.
John Croot, chief executive of fifth division Chesterfield, said they had had "no idea" the pause was coming, calling the announcement this morning a "bombshell".
Image source, ReutersLet's return to the UN General Assembly where the leaders of the US and China have been speaking.
Despite a plea from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to avoid a "new cold war", US President Donald Trump had Beijing firmly in his sights as he gave his pre-recorded speech to the virtual Assembly.
He said China had "unleashed this plague onto the world" and the UN must hold it accountable. It was "not a subtle speech", said the BBC's Laura Trevelyan, but was "a clear attempt to shift blame" for the huge toll the pandemic has taken in the US ahead of the presidential election.
China's President Xi Jinping, in contrast, struck a more conciliatory tone, calling for greater cooperation over the pandemic and saying his country had "no intention to enter a Cold War with any country".
You can read more on the tensions at the General Assembly here.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, James Hoggarth"It is what it is," says James - "it is the hand that we have been dealt"
The maximum size of wedding ceremonies and receptions in England is set to be reduced further from Monday - down to a new limit of 15 instead of the current 30.
James Hoggarth, who has been engaged to fiancee Lindsay for two years, says they are going to press ahead with their wedding next month, adding: "We just want to get married".
But he says the process of cutting the event down to 15 from 30, having originally planned for 110 guests, is going to prove "very hard".
"It will almost certainly mean we will end up cutting aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents," he adds.
"It's not nice but it's unfortunately the world that we live in."
Canadian officials say the country is "at a bit of a crossroads" and struggling to contain coronavirus.
New Covid-19 cases continue to climb throughout the country.
"With minimal controls, the virus is capable of surging into a very sharp and intense peak because most Canadians don't have immunity to the virus," Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam told the public on Tuesday.
Dr Tam said new cases were now mostly in young adults between 20 and 39, unlike early in the pandemic when the elderly were more likely to be affected. Urban areas are where the biggest hot spots are.
Officials are projecting, in the short term, 155,795 new cases by 3 October, up from today's count of about 145,000.
The concern is that in the coming months, the rate of infection could increase, causing new cases to surge and overwhelm hospitals as flu season approaches.
Wales is following England and Scotland in imposing a 10pm closing time on pubs, cafes and restaurants, the BBC understands.
Alcohol sales from off-licences and supermarkets will face the same cut-off time.
The measures come into force on Thursday, after which pubs will also be allowed to provide table service only.
First Minister Mark Drakeford will make a broadcast later this evening, after Boris Johnson's, which happens at 20:00 GMT.
Daniel Sandford
Home Affairs Correspondent
It is thought that police forces in England and Wales will become more proactive in terms of enforcing the Covid-19 regulations, as the rules tighten up again because of increasing numbers of infections.
While officers will continue to use the four Es – Engage, Explain, Encourage and then only Enforce if necessary – they may spend less time on the “Encourage” strand.
If somebody is blatantly, selfishly breaching the rules, and it is not an honest mistake, they can expect to get a Fixed Penalty Notice more quickly.
Speaking to policing sources today there is definitely a change in tone.
Senior officers believe the public should now understand quite clearly that, for example, they should not be having a large party, or leaving their home if they are infectious.
They welcome the offer of more financial support for policing the pandemic, which is likely to be spent on overtime.
New guidance will be produced by the College of Policing as soon as possible.
So far as support from the Army, this has been available throughout the pandemic. At no stage has any police force thought it necessary to seek military help, and it is not anticipated that this will change.
Analysis
Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Correspondent
The new Scottish restrictions are more extensive than those announced by Boris Johnson for England. Nicola Sturgeon has matched the prime minister by introducing a 10pm, external curfew for bars and restaurants. Table service and some of the other new requirements for England already apply in Scotland. In her Holyrood statement, the first minister said she was aligning with other UK nations “as far as possible”. She also said her scientific team had advised that the UK government’s package “on its own will not be sufficient” to bring coronavirus under control.
The Scottish government’s gone significantly further by extending the West of Scotland ban on visiting others in their own homes nationwide.
Nicola Sturgeon said the new rules would be reviewed every three weeks and need not all last for six months - which was the timescale Boris Johnson suggested for his measures. All governments intend to back up their policies with enforcement but there has been no mention of big new fines in Scotland.
This is devolved decision making in action in the biggest crisis since the creation of the Scottish Parliament. Some argue divergence across the UK is confusing and undesirable but opinion polls consistently suggest the Scottish public trust Holyrood to set the pace.
Analysis
Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Correspondent
The new Scottish restrictions are more extensive than those announced by Boris Johnson for England.
Nicola Sturgeon has matched the prime minister by introducing a 22:00 curfew for bars and restaurants.
Table service and some of the other new requirements for England already apply in Scotland.
In her Holyrood statement, the first minister said she was aligning with other UK nations “as far as possible”.
She also said her scientific team had advised that the UK government’s package “on its own will not be sufficient” to bring coronavirus under control.
The Scottish government’s gone significantly further by extending the west of Scotland ban on visiting others in their own homes nationwide.
Sturgeon said the new rules would be reviewed every three weeks and need not all last for six months - which was the timescale Johnson suggested for his measures.
All governments intend to back up their policies with enforcement but there has been no mention of big new fines in Scotland.
This is devolved decision-making in action in the biggest crisis since the creation of the Scottish Parliament.
Some argue divergence across the UK is confusing and undesirable but opinion polls consistently suggest the Scottish public trust Holyrood to set the pace.
Image source, Getty ImagesBarclays will tell "hundreds" of UK staff who had gone back to the office to return to working from home.
The bank told the BBC it was making the move following the latest guidance from the government that people should work at home when they can.
About 1,000 Barclays employees worldwide returned to the office over the summer.
The bank had said it would carry out a "gradual" return to the office in October, after chief executive Jess Staley signalled that he wanted employees working from home during the pandemic to return to the office "over time".
Some business groups have reacted with dismay to the prime minister's call for people to work at home where they can.
It marks a change in policy following a government advertising campaign to get people back to work where safe.
Marianna Spring
Disinformation and social media reporter
At the start of the pandemic, false claims about tanks on the streets of the UK to enforce lockdown went viral online.
Following the prime minister's announcement that he might use the Army to enforce new measures, similar claims have spread on social media about the military and martial law.
A spokesperson for the prime minister has since clarified what he meant, explaining the system has been used in the past and would involve the military back-filling certain duties.
That includes guarding protected sites, so police officers can be out enforcing the virus response.
But with many of us worried, frustrated and consumed about new changes, it’s a fertile time for misinformation to spread in WhatsApp and Facebook groups.
Here’s a reminder of how you can stop bad information going viral:
People in Wales have been asked to avoid unnecessary journeys ahead of hundreds of thousands of people going into new lockdown restrictions.
Bridgend, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport face new restrictions from 18:00 BST as Covid-19 cases rise.
People will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse.
But First Minister Mark Drakeford urged people across all of Wales to travel only if it was essential.
He is expected to announce further measures later.
