Covid-19: 'Christmas cannot continue as planned' declares Prime Minister

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced changes in to the rules for meeting up at Christmas and introduced a new tier with tighter rules to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

In England the highest tier will come into effect from 20 December for London and many parts of the south east and east.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced the whole country will move into the new tier at the same time as regions in England.

Scotland has announced that cross-border travel has been banned, with Nicola Sturgeon saying, "People from Scotland should not visit other parts of the UK, and vice versa." The whole country will move to Level Four restrictions from Boxing Day.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, said the new rules "make me want to cry".

The changes come in after a rise in coronavirus cases, and evidence of a new variant of the virus which has been seen spreading quickly in the south-east of England, but is beginning to appear in other parts of the UK.

What is the new tier?

The new Tier 4 category will be roughly the same as the lockdown rules used in November,

All of Wales will also enter Tier 4 restrictions at the same time, announced First Minister Mark Drakeford.

"Residents in those areas must stay at home" for at least ten days explained the Prime Minister.

Scotland's Level Four is the highest level of the country's previously announced five tiers. It has similar effects to the new Tier 4, closing restaurants and preventing households from mixing, for example.

These shoppers in Cardiff will have to stay at home from Sunday 20 December

What do the rules mean for Christmas?

"We cannot continue with Christmas as planned," said Boris Johnson, adding that, "We, of course, bitterly regret the changes that are necessary but, alas, when the facts change you have to change your approach."

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford explained the decision to move to Tier 4 immediately by saying: "While we all want to avoid further disruption to businesses and plans for Christmas, our overriding duty is to protect lives here in Wales."

He added: "We know that 2021 will be a different and a better year."

The government has had to change the planned relaxation of rules in England for Christmas, and scrapped them completely for areas in the new Tier 4 category.

The plan to allow up to three households to mix for five days has been cut to just Christmas Day.

Scotland's government has also cut back plans for Christmas.

"We will allow Christmas Day to go ahead, explained Nicola Sturgeon, who added, "our advice is still not to meet indoors even on Christmas Day with other households if you can possibly avoid it."

People in Tier 4, in England and Wales, cannot mix indoors with anyone not from their household, and outdoor mixing will be cut to meeting one person in an open public space.

All non-essential retail in those highest tier areas will have to close, along with hairdressers, nail bars, indoor gyms and leisure facilities.

The Prime Minister said he "bitterly regreted" having to make the changes

Which areas are in Tier 4?

Tier Four restrictions will apply in all tier three areas in the South East, covering Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings.

It will also apply in London and the majority of the East of England.

All of Wales will be in the new tier.

Why is the government having to change plans?

The government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, explained that a new variant of the coronavirus has begun to spread in the south-east of England.

He warned there had been a "very sharp increase" during December.

"This virus has taken off, it's moving fast."

Sir Patrick said that there was no evidence that the new variant "causes more trouble" or would make people sicker.

He also said the vaccine would still work on this variant of the virus, saying, "the vaccine response should be adequate for this virus."

Here is everything you need to know about the new coronavirus 'variant': What is it?.