More than 40 countries ban UK arrivals because of concerns over the spread of a new variant of coronavirus
Spain, India, Hong Kong, Canada, Switzerland and Germany are the latest to suspend UK flights
France has closed its border with the UK for 48 hours, with no lorries or ferry passengers able to sail from the port of Dover
UK PM Boris Johnson says he and French President Emmanuel Macron are working to unblock the border "as fast as possible"
A further 33,364 positive cases have been recorded in the UK, as well as a further 215 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
EU member states meet in Brussels to discuss a co-ordinated response on travel bans for UK - but no decision is expected today
European Medicines Agency recommends use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for vaccinations to start in the EU within days
UK supermarket Sainsbury's says items could be missing from its shelves as a result of the French-UK border closure
But retailers have played down fears of immediate food shortages
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says last night there were about 500 lorries queuing on the motorway around Dover.
That is now down to about 170 lorries with a few more in a holding area, he says.
"The main message is please don't travel to Kent," he adds.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe prime minister says he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The UK, he adds, understands the "anxieties" in other countries, but the risk of a lorry driver in a cab spreading infection is "very low".
He tells other countries the government acted "as soon as we were briefed" on the new coronavirus variant.
The PM promises to keep working for new treatments and reveals that more than 500,000 people in the UK have had their first vaccine dose.
Helen Catt
Political correspondent
The message from ministers around the disruption at the border has so far been "don't panic".
Long-made plans to deal with traffic problems have swung into place; supermarkets, we're told, are well stocked and there's been reassurance that there won't be an impact on deliveries of the coronavirus vaccine.
Expect to see a reinforcement of those kinds of messages this evening.
But it is a serious situation and will become more so the longer it goes on, so there will be pressure on the prime minister to explain how he plans to get things moving again soon and to deal with any fallout.
Boris Johnson says delays at Dover only affect "human-handled freight" - about 20% of the total going to continental Europe. The government has been preparing "for a long time" for such a situation, he adds.
The number of lorries waiting on the A20 has dropped from 500 to 170, the PM says.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has started speaking at the Downing Street press conference.
He's joined by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
We'll bring you all the latest here.
It seems the UK government press conference is running a little late.
While we wait why not catch up on what we know about the new coronavirus variant by reading this analysis from our health and science correspondent James Gallagher.
Image source, PA MediaUK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to lead a government briefing soon after 17:00 GMT.
It comes after more than 40 countries have banned UK arrivals over concerns at the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.
He's also been chairing a meeting of the emergency committee this afternoon.
We'll bring you all the latest updates from the press conference here.
Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's normal for Westminster and Whitehall to have fallen almost silent by this time of year.
Parliament has normally packed up by now, and although government doesn't exactly stop, it certainly quietens down.
While it's pretty much deserted today, that's because people who live and work in this part of the country have been told to stay at home because of tighter restrictions to curb the new variant of the virus.
But behind closed doors, and online, officials and ministers are frantically trying to manage different aspects of what seems now a sprawling crisis.
As one official said: "It's a Covid diagnosis with transition symptoms."
A further 215 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the UK total to 67,616, according to the latest government figures, external.
There have also been a further 33,364 cases of coronavirus recorded.
It's lower than the number of cases reported yesterday - 35,928 - which was an all-time high and nearly double the number recorded the same day the previous week.
Simon Jones
Reporter, BBC South East Today
Image source, Getty ImagesAs the day has gone on, it seems the frustration of some hauliers has grown.
Many have been sounding their horns - after being refused entry to the Port of Dover. A few have been brandishing paperwork at the officials keeping them out.
The reality is, whatever documentation they may have, they aren't being allowed to leave the UK today.
The only journey they're being told to make is to the back of the ever-growing queue that makes up Operation Stack.
That will mean spending tonight, and all day tomorrow in their cabs - when all they want to do is get back home.
It's a depressing situation in the run-up to Christmas.
And if France does insist that all drivers need to be tested before being allowed to cross the Channel, it's likely some won't make it back before the big day.
Image source, EPAWe’re expecting Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lead a UK government briefing at around 17:00 GMT.
He will be joined by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
Here’s a quick recap of the main stories from the UK while we wait:
Image source, EPATravellers from the UK will be banned from entering Sweden, Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg has confirmed. The ban excludes Swedish citizens and comes into effect at midnight (23:00 GMT), reports the BBC's Maddy Savage.
Sweden will also close its border with Denmark to stop the spread of the new coronavirus variant - where it has also been detected - with the exception of Swedish citizens and those crossing into Sweden to live or work allowed to make the journey.
Mr Damberg suggested on Sunday night that a travel ban was imminent, telling Swedish television network SVT that he hoped the measure would take effect “as soon as possible”. The move followed lobbying from opposition centre-right parties, the Moderates and the Liberals.
Image source, ReutersThe Vatican has said the use of Covid-19 vaccines developed using cell lines derived from aborted foetuses is "morally acceptable" in the absence of an alternative jab.
"All vaccinations recognised as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal co-operation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive," the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced in a statement on Monday.
The text, which was approved by Pope Francis, also said there was “a moral imperative” to ensure that poorer countries were able to access effective vaccines, the Vatican News website reports.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is among those developed using cells derived from foetuses aborted decades ago, although no foetal cells will be present in the vaccine itself.
The government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) has upgraded its confidence that the new variant spreads more easily, the group's chair has said.
Prof Peter Horby told a Science Media Centre briefing: "We now have high confidence that this variant does have a transmission advantage over other virus variants that are currently in the UK."
Minutes from a meeting on Friday said the group, which advises the UK government, had "moderate confidence" in this.
Another Nervtag member, Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told the briefing there was strong evidence the new variant is 50% more transmissible than the previous virus.
He also said there was a "hint" the new variant infects children more.
"There are other epidemiologically interesting trends with the virus, there is a hint that it has a higher propensity to infect children... but we haven't established any sort of causality on that, but we can see that in the data," he said.
Image source, PA MediaDover MP Natalie Elphicke has criticised the French government's decision to close the border with the UK as "unnecessary, unhelpful and irresponsible".
"It has caused serious traffic congestion at a time when traffic flows were already high."
"A simple conversation about virus management would have been the right way forward," she insisted.
About 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais during peak periods such as Christmas.
But the decision by France to close its borders from 2300 GMT on Sunday means no accompanied freight can leave the area, leading to long queues on the main routes to Dover.
Tory MP Elphicke urged President Emmanuel Macron's government to reopen the border.
"The longer that this goes on, the longer it will take to unwind, meaning that there could be queues past Christmas unless the French reopen the border soon," said Ms Elphicke.
Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world, with more than 76 million confirmed cases in 190 countries and a death toll of 1.7 million
The virus is surging in many regions and countries that had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks.
The US has recorded the highest number of cases and fatalities of any country in the world, and both figures are still rising.
Find out more in our global pandemic tracker.
Image source, EPAMillions of people travelled for Thanksgiving last month
More than one million passengers have travelled through US airports over two consecutive days, the Transportation Security Administration has said.
The numbers from Friday and Saturday are the highest since 29 November - the end of the Thanksgiving weekend - when millions of Americans flew despite warnings from health experts.
While the figures are far lower than in previous years, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have urged people to stay at home during the Christmas period.
More than 18.5 million cases of coronavirus have been reported in the US since the pandemic began, while 317,686 people have died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
President Emmanuel Macron was still displaying some coronavirus symptoms, but his overall condition was stable, government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters earlier on Monday.
The French leader, whose birthday is today, tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday last week.
He is in self-isolation at the presidential retreat of La Lanterne, close to the Palace of Versailles, outside the French capital, Paris.
He presided over the government's weekly cabinet meeting via video call.
Image source, Reuters
Center Parcs' Sherwood Forest site will close until at least 7 January
Center Parcs says it has temporarily closed its five UK sites "with a heavy heart" due to concerns over the new variant of coronavirus.
The holiday firm said continuing to accept visitors would go against the government's "strong advice" to stay local and minimise social contact.
It said it regretted disappointing customers, and those who had booked stays could reschedule with a discount or get a full refund.
The five sites will remain shut until at least 7 January.
Entry to Spain and Portugal will be suspended for citizens from the UK from Tuesday, Spain's foreign affairs ministry has said.
Spanish nationals or residents will be exempt.
Border control in Gibraltar will also be strengthened, the ministry said in a tweet.
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