Oliver Barnes
Reality Check

Image source, PA Media

A new fourth tier of coronavirus restrictions for London and south-east England is set to be announced, cabinet sources have told the BBC.

So how badly affected are these regions by the resurgence of coronavirus over winter?

In the week to 14 December, all of the 20 local authorities in England with the highest infection rates were in London, the South East or the East of England.

Basildon in Essex, the worst hit local authority, recorded 865 cases per 100,000, with Havering in London (846 per 100,000) and Medway in Kent (831 per 100,000) not far behind.

These figures compare to the average for England which is just 185 cases per 100,000.

The UK has reported another 27,052 confirmed Covid-19 cases. That's down slightly on Friday's figure of 28,507.

There have also been another 534 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. That's up from 489 a day before.

The prime minister was due to speak at 16:00, but has seemingly been delayed.

While we are waiting, read our main story on the expectation that "tier four" will be announced for London and parts of the South East.

The announcement has been sparked by rising cases in the UK - check the data here.

We'll bring you updates from the PM's press conference as soon as it starts.

We're about to hear from the UK prime minister, but while we wait, here's some news from Chile...

Earlier this month, the country's President Sebastián Piñera, wearing a hat and sunglasses, smiled as he posed for a selfie on a beach with a passer-by earlier this month.

The photo, which went viral, looks innocent enough.

But there was just one problem: the president wasn’t wearing a face mask.

Now Mr Piñera has been fined $3,500 (£2,588) for breaching coronavirus rules.

Chile, where coronavirus infections are on the rise, has strict rules about wearing masks in public, with violations punishable by fines and even jail terms.

The president has apologised and admitted he should have worn a mask when the woman requested a photo on a beach near his home in the town of Cachagua.

Image source, PA Media

As we reported earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will give a news conference at 16:00 to discuss new Covid rules for England.

He will be joined by chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, and chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty.

Sources have told the BBC that a new "tier four" will be announced for London and the South East.

That could mean the closure of non-essential shops, and new rules for travelling in and out of the region.

There are currently three tiers of Covid rules in England - read about them here.

In the space of just one week, eight nuns at a retirement home in the US state of Wisconsin died after contracting Covid-19.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame, a religious centre in the village of Elm Grove in suburban Milwaukee, said the deaths occurred from 9 December and that further cases had been confirmed among the remaining 88 sisters at the home.

"Our prayers are with our sisters who have gone home to God," a post of the facility's Facebook page reads. "We pray everyone stays safe this Christmas," it adds.

In an interview with news station WTMJ, the provincial leader of the facility, Sister Debra Sciano, said: "Every one of our sisters is really important. Not only to us, but we feel they have touched thousands of lives we'll never be aware of.

"Even though they're older and most of the sisters that did go to God are in their late 80s and 90s... we didn't expect them to go so, so quickly."

The Notre Dame facility was set up in 1859 to provide an orphanage for children in the area, but later became a home for elderly and ill sisters, external, according to the website.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will hold a press conference at 17:30 GMT following discussions with her cabinet over the new variant of coronavirus.

She'll be speaking alongside Scotland's chief medical officer and the national clinical director.

Follow along here on the live page or on BBC One Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

Nine people have been killed after an oxygen ventilator exploded at a hospital treating coronavirus patients in southern Turkey, officials say.

The blast caused a fire in the intensive care unit of the private Sanko University Hospital in Gaziantep, the local governor's office said.

At least one of the patients died while being transferred to another hospital.

No injuries were reported in relation to the fire, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning and was quickly put out.

The victims were aged between 56 and 85, the hospital said in a statement.

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the explosion.

Turkey has recorded nearly two million coronavirus cases , externaland 17,610 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Read more on this story here.

In just 30 minutes the prime minister will take to the podium where he's expected to announce tighter restrictions for many parts of England.

He'll be joined by the familiar cast of England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.

Stick with us as we bring you all the details here on the live page.

Image source, Getty Images

The gruelling Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been cancelled for the first time in its history following an outbreak of coronavirus cases in Sydney.

The 630 nautical mile (1,170km) race was due to start on 26 December and conclude in the Tasmanian capital on 31 December.

However, the decision to cancel the race came after a cluster of Covid-19 cases were detected in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area, where many of the sailors live, and Tasmania announced a 14-day quarantine requirement for anyone travelling from that area.

"We are bitterly disappointed to cancel the race this year especially considering the plans and preparations we had put in place to have a Covid safe race," said Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) commodore Noel Cornish.

"We were so well prepared to run the race and we’re only six days from the start. This is the first time in 76 years that the race will not be conducted."

The Sydney to Hobart race is considered one of the most challenging in the world, and is an annual highlight of Australian sport.

Mr Cornish ended his statement by saying: "This race has a long and proud history and we look forward to continuing this exciting tradition next year."

Image source, PA Media

Welsh ministers are meeting to discuss "serious concerns" over the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.

It comes hours after Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford attended a call with representatives of the UK's devolved nations following a surge in cases.

Mr Drakeford has already announced a Wales-wide lockdown which will come into force on 28 December when the Christmas relaxation of rules ends.

Read the full story here.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, EPA

It was just 72 hours ago that Boris Johnson was resisting pressure to cancel relaxations of restrictions over Christmas. He told a press conference cancelling the festive plans would be "inhuman".

But concern has grown significantly in the last couple of days; both about the rising number of cases and the new variant of the virus disclosed earlier this week.

Ministers met with their scientific advisers yesterday evening - and again this morning. Things have moved quickly in the last 24 hours.

Sources have confirmed a new tier four will be introduced in London and the south-east England. That's likely to mean closure of non-essential shops and beauty salons.

The move would have a significant impact of Christmas plans and what people can do in and around the capital.

There are also conversations taking place in the devolved administrations about whether further restrictions are needed.

Image source, PA Media

More preventative action may be necessary to stop a faster spreading variant of coronavirus taking hold, Scottish First Nicola Sturgeon says.

Ms Sturgeon says the Scottish cabinet will meet on Saturday afternoon to discuss the new variant.

Scottish ministers will also consider Christmas arrangements and the first minister is expected to announce any changes in a press conference later this afternoon.

Earlier, representatives from the UK's four nations discussed the new strain and how to handle it.

After the meeting, Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster tweeted that it was "very concerning" and stressed how important it was to follow the guidelines to contain the virus.

Read more here.

Image source, EPA

French President Emmanuel Macron is in a stable condition and his tests results are reassuring, his office has said, a day after he announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

He was "still presenting the same symptoms", fatigue, coughing and stiffness, but was not prevented from carrying out his duties, the statement, signed by his doctor, said.

President Macron is self-isolating at an official residence outside Paris.

Other officials and foreign leaders have had to go into self-isolation after meeting him at a number of high-profile events in the past week. But his office strongly denies he acted recklessly.

Did Macron break his own Covid rules? You can more on this story here.

Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor

The prime minister is expected to announce a tightening of Covid restrictions and a tier four for London and the South East as well as several other counties, cabinet sources have told the BBC.

There is also expected to be a tightening of the plans to relax the rules around households gathering during the Christmas period.

The cabinet was also briefed on the risks from the new variant of the disease by the government’s top medics at lunchtime.

Image source, PA Media

Hospitals in Kent are postponing non-urgent procedures after coronavirus cases rose beyond figures seen in the spring.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust, external had 357 cases on Wednesday, almost twice its spring peak of 187 on 20 April.

The NHS in Kent confirmed urgent operations would go ahead as normal.

Average NHS bed occupancy in England reached almost 89% for the week ending 13 December, with 59 out of 126 NHS trusts reporting bed occupancy of higher than 90% - which is above the recommended safe level.

Read the full story here.

Image source, EPA

Italy has become the latest European country to announce tighter restrictions over the Christmas and New Year period in an effort to curb a rise in coronavirus cases.

‘Red zone’ restrictions will be in place over the public holidays, during which Italians will only be allowed to leave their homes for work, health and emergency reasons. Limited home visits will be allowed.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said it was "not an easy decision" but health experts were "seriously worried that there would be a jump in cases over Christmas".

Italy has recorded the highest Covid death toll in Europe, with close to 68,000 fatalities.

Both the Netherlands and Germany have also imposed lockdowns until January and Austria plans to enter its third lockdown after Christmas.

You can read more on the restrictions European countries are imposing over the Christmas period here.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Viruses do mutate - so the development that there is a Covid-19 variant should not come as a complete surprise.

There is nothing to suggest it causes more serious illness or would impact the ability of the vaccines to work.

But preliminary investigation suggests it is leading to faster transmission.

That clearly is causing concern, especially ahead of Christmas when relaxing restrictions mean there is more opportunity for the virus to spread.

It may well explain why infection rates started increasing in London during lockdown - something that has baffled experts.

All indications are the prime minister will issue new advice on Christmas.

Hospital admissions are increasing - with the number of available beds in parts of the south-east England falling almost by the day.

The UK has informed the World Health Organization that the new variant of coronavirus can spread more quickly, the chief medical officer for England says.

Prof Chris Whitty says the decision came as a result of preliminary modelling data and the rapidly rising incidence rates of the virus in the South East.

But he says: "There is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments, although urgent work is under way to confirm this."

Image source, Reuters

The US government has approved a second Covid-19 vaccine, clearing the way for millions of doses to be released.

Moderna was given authorisation by the Food and Drug Administration, a week after the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved.

The US has agreed to purchase 200 million doses of Moderna, and six million may be ready to ship now.

The country has been the worst hit by the virus, with more than 313,500 deaths and some 17.5 million infections, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

You can read more on this story here.