UK to close all travel corridors from 04:00 GMT on Monday, PM Boris Johnson said at Downing Street press conference
Travellers must have proof of a negative Covid-19 test in previous 72 hours - with new rules in place until at least 15 February
More than 2 million people have now died of Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University
UK government scientists put the coronavirus R number - the average rate of spread - in the UK at 1.2 to 1.3, similar to last week
A ban on travellers from South America and Portugal came into force on Friday over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil
The health system in the Brazilian city of Manaus is said to be collapsing amid soaring infections linked to the new variant
Image source, COBRProf Whitty says that the numbers in hospital lags behind cases and the number of people entering hospital is still rising in all parts of the country".
He says "we have well exceeded" the peak of the first wave but stresses that people with serious problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, should still contact the NHS.
Image source, COBRProf Chris Whitty tells the press conference that the number of cases is still "extremely high".
"We are still at the place where just shy of one in 50 has Covid," he says.
But the chief medical officer for England says there is some "levelling off" in the cases "thanks to enormous efforts by so many people" and because "virtually everyone" is adhering to the guidance.
"We were not sure this was going to be possible with the new variant," he adds.
Boris Johnson pays tribute to vaccination teams around the UK, adding that immunity to infection is "steadily" building.
People should get a jab when offered one, the PM says.
Image source, ReutersThe PM says the closure of air travel corridors from 04:00 on Monday will apply across the UK.
This will initially happen for a month, although it will be kept under review and could be extended.
Anyone arriving in the UK must quarantine for 10 days or they have the choice of doing an extra test on day five to shorten the isolation.
Outlining the measures to come into place, he calls them "vital", as "day by day, hour by hour" progress is being made in vaccinating people.
He adds that 3.2 million people across the UK have received vaccines.
Boris Johnson says it would be "fatal" if progress on coronavirus vaccinations makes people complacent about the risk of infection.
Cancer treatments are being postponed because of cases being dealt with in hospitals, he adds.
With 1,280 deaths since yesterday, he reminds people that handling something touched by an infected person can catch the virus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is making his opening remarks at today’s Downing Street coronavirus press briefing.
We’ll bring you the latest here.
Image source, Getty ImagesA view of Lagos, Nigeria
While we wait for the UK prime minister's press conference to start, we have some news from Nigeria where health officials say they are worried that fake coronavirus vaccines are being sold in the country.
Nigeria's National Agency for Food Drug and Administration Control "is pleading with the public to beware".
"Fake vaccines can cause Covid-like illnesses or other serious diseases that could kill," warned Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency's director general.
Black market coronavirus tests also reportedly appeared in April.
There has been a sharp rise in infections in Nigeria in recent weeks, and the vaccine rollout is not expected to begin until March.
Nigeria, which has a population of 201 million, has 10 million doses due to arrive in March, but it hasn't been specified which type of jab would be used.
A total of 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have already been confirmed.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe will hear shortly from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty and the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance at a Downing Street press conference.
It comes after a leading scientist advising the government has said one of two coronavirus variants first detected in Brazil has been found in the UK - but not the more infectious "variant of concern".
With just under 10 minutes to go until we hear from the PM, you have time to read more about the science behind coronavirus variants from our science correspondent Helen Briggs.
Also our health editor Michelle Roberts considers how worried should we be about new variants of the virus?
Image source, PA MediaThe head of a hospital trust in England has warned of the impact of the pandemic on his staff's mental health and wellbeing.
Professor David Loughton, chief executive of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust which runs the city's New Cross hospital, said: "The most difficult thing for staff within the NHS; nobody - but nobody - went to medical school, went into nurse training or came into the health service to watch people die.
"That wasn't what they trained for."
He said he had some "very long-in-the-tooth" intensive care consultants who were having trouble sleeping. "Some of them because they wake up at 4am and they can remember the faces of the people, to whom they said: 'I am going to put you to sleep now - and you may never wake up'.
"That is not easy for the staff in the NHS to deal with."
Image source, City of London PoliceA man accused of allegedly tricking a 92-year-old woman out of £160 for a fake coronavirus vaccination has been charged with fraud and common assault.
David Chambers is accused of administering the fake vaccine at her Surbiton home in London last month.
The 33-year-old, also from Surbiton, is charged with five offences including fraud and going outside in a tier four area without a good reason.
He denied the charges when he appeared before magistrates on Friday.
Mr Chambers was remanded in custody until a hearing on 12 February.
In the UK, coronavirus vaccines are free of charge and available via the NHS.
Image source, EPAThe prime minister is due to lead a Downing Street coronavirus press conference in about 30 minutes.
He will be joined by England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty and the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
It comes on the first day of a travel ban from South America, amid concern around a coronavirus variant detected in Brazil.
Also most international passengers will have to test negative for coronavirus if they wish to travel to the UK from Monday 18 January.
Here you can find out more about the UK’s travel rules and which countries are included in the latest ban.
Image source, ReutersThere have been reports of severe oxygen shortages in Manaus, Brazil
If you're just joining us, here's a reminder of the day's top international coronavirus stories:
A further 1,280 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, according to the latest government figures, external.
It takes the total by that measure to 87,295.
There have also been a further 55,761 cases of coronavirus confirmed.
These figures are higher than yesterday's when there were 48,682 new cases and 1,248 deaths.
Image source, PA MediaWe're expecting to hear from the prime minister at 17:00 GMT on what has already been a busy day for coronavirus news. Here are your main headlines this afternoon:
Reality Check
Image source, ReutersUS President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to boost the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine and criticised the speed of the current operation.
It “has been a dismal failure this far," said Mr Biden, who says he will oversee 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days.
About 11 million vaccines have been administered so far in the US, and almost 31 million distributed since the first inoculations on 14 December, according to official statistics., external
US officials have acknowledged that the vaccination programme has not been working as smoothly as planned, and a goal to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of 2020 was not met., external
“We know that it should be better, and we’re working hard to make it better,” said Moncef Slaoui, who leads the government’s vaccine rollout plan, at the end of December.
President Trump has deflected attention onto the states to deliver the jabs – telling them to “get moving”.
But there has also been criticism of the level of federal government support given to local health authorities.
And there’ve been issues around getting sufficient supplies to vaccinations centres, as well as co-ordination and preparedness at the state level.
There are wide variations in vaccination rates, with South Dakota having administered more than 6,000 doses per 100,000 people and Alabama less than 2,000.
When you look at vaccine doses per head in the countries doing the most vaccinations, the US is currently fourth after the UK.
Coronavirus deaths in the UK are likely to peak in the next week to 10 days, according to a leading statistician.
Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, of the Statistical Laboratory at Cambridge University, told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme the lockdown measures were having an impact, with the peak in infections having passed "a good few days ago" which would lead to a reduction in the numbers dying from the disease.
"They are likely to level off in a week - 10 days maybe - at a peak which is probably going to be bigger than the first wave peak of 1,000 a day, but then should decline due the reductions in cases that we are seeing and, of course, the vaccine programme," he said.
But he warned that hospital admissions would fall more slowly.
While the government's plan to vaccinate all over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable by mid-February covered around 90% of those dying from the disease, he said only 55% of those being admitted to hospital and 25% of those in intensive care were over 70.
Joe Wicks inspired the UK to get moving during the first lockdown, but there's a new character on the fitness scene.
Happy Mondays star Bez talking us through his YouTube workouts has been one of our most watched videos on the BBC News website today.
The 56-year-old is launching his fitness classes on Sunday. Here he tells us how he's finding his first sessions with a personal trainer.
Why Bez wants people to 'get buzzin' in lockdown'
Philippa Roxby
Health reporter, BBC News
After several weeks of a national lockdown, there were hopes the R number - or reproduction number - for the virus would be below or close to the magic figure of 1, which suggests the epidemic is shrinking.
But it’s between 1.2 and 1.3 and the growth rate is estimated to be between +2% and +5%, meaning that infections are growing by this rate every day.
Although there are very early signs that confirmed cases are falling in most age groups, this may not yet have filtered through to be reflected in the R number.
It tends to describe what’s happened in previous weeks rather than in the present.
However, there are still positive signs the lockdown is working.
There were more than 48,600 cases reported in the UK yesterday - a week ago it was around 60,000.
The tight restrictions on people’s lives, including schools being closed since December, are bound to be having an impact.
Yet hospital admissions and deaths are still rising and are likely to do so for some weeks yet.
Despite millions having been vaccinated, the current R number is telling us the second wave certainly isn’t over yet.
While the UK has banned travel from South America and Portugal, most arrivals already have to quarantine when you get here.
Exceptions are made for people coming from the Common Travel Area or countries on the list of "travel corridors" with the UK., external
If you do have to observe a 10-day isolation period after travelling from certain countries, here's what you need to know.
BBC Health Correspondent Laura Foster explains.
Coronavirus: How do I quarantine after returning from abroad?
Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
Image source, Getty ImagesFor the third day in a row, China has recorded more than 100 fresh cases of Covid-19. With 144 new cases on Friday, the country reported its highest single-day infection tally since 1 March. On Thursday, its first death was confirmed since May.
There are, consequently, some fears that China may experience a more widespread outbreak, especially as millions are gearing up to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
Official media polls suggest that the majority of people aren’t that discouraged from travelling, and China is stepping up measures this week to help them do so safely - a “unified and mutually recognised health code system".
This system is similar to the UK’s NHS track-and-trace app; users scan a digital QR code on their smartphones to enter transport and buildings - however in China, it shows they are Covid-free. Companies have insisted that this system is a mandatory, rather than voluntary, requirement for travel, or entrance to sites.
Meanwhile, it is common for provincial-level health bodies to provide extensive, daily details on patients who have tested positive for Covid-19. The gender, age, and recent movements of new Covid-19 patients are posted online daily, and details of whether those patients are linked to an earlier confirmed case.
So people can see specific streets that people have tested positive on and which venues they have visited.