Boris Johnson: 'If we ease off now, we risk losing control of this virus' – video

Boris Johnson said he was sorry that most of England would exit lockdown into tiers 2 or 3 with the toughest restrictions. Johnson said the measures ‘strike a balance’ between limiting the spread of the virus and protecting freedoms. ‘If we ease off now, we risk losing control of this virus,’ Johnson added.

Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, urged people to ‘have sense’ over the festive period, and bluntly warned against hugging and kissing elderly relatives at Christmas