Around six million people in the east and south-east England have joined many others into Tier 4 from December 26, the United Kingdom’s highest COVID-19 level restrictions, which includes a “stay at home” order.

Lockdowns have also started in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and measures have been reimposed in Wales after being eased for Christmas Day when the UK crossed another grim milestone of 70,000 coronavirus deaths.

Under the toughest Tier 4 restrictions, all non-essential shops, bars and restaurants are closed and people are not allowed to meet other households, except in a support bubble or in an outdoor public space with one other person. 

With the devolved administrations setting their own strategies, Northern Ireland goes into a six-week lockdown from Saturday with non-essential shops shut and hospitality open only for takeaway services.

In a move similar to England’s Tier 4 restrictions, Wales will be moving back into Level 4 measures which also means non-essential shops, gyms and beauty salons must close and bars and restaurants can only open for takeaways. And, Scotland is also entering the toughest tier of restrictions for at least three weeks with very similar measures in place.

France has also detected it’s first case of this mutated version of coronavirus in a man who had travelled to the country from London in the days before Christmas. More than 50 countries banned all UK arrivals earlier this month.

Meanwhile, a further 570 deaths in the UK were reported, taking the total number of people dying within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test to 70,195. This places the UK sixth after the US, Brazil, India, Mexico and Italy in terms of recorded coronavirus deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in England and Scotland increased by 32,725 on Friday.