London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Ministers 'considering nationwide lockdown from Boxing Day'

Ministers 'considering nationwide lockdown from Boxing Day'

Ministers are said to be considering a national tier four lockdown or harsher restrictions in England from Boxing Day, according to reports.

A Gold Command meeting of public health chiefs and ministers was allegedly held on Tuesday evening to discuss how to contain the fast-spreading new mutant strain of coronavirus.

The tier system is due to be reviewed on December 30 but it is claimed that an announcement on tougher restrictions could be held as early as Wednesday.

Sources present at the meeting claim ministers did not rule out plunging the nation into a third lockdown straight after Christmas, reports the Mirror.

Plans to move Birmingham from tier three into a tier four before December 25 were also reportedly discussed – but officials agreed to delay the move.

But according to The Sun, several areas of concern could join London and large parts of the south east on Boxing Day – but not the entire nation.


Some Whitehall officials are pushing for restrictions to be delayed, according to sources


Sources said new rules would not apply to the whole of England ‘but there are many areas that need tougher measures and are seeing dramatic cases numbers’.

Some ministers are reportedly pushing for new restrictions to come into effect from December 26. But others are insisting they should wait in order to avoid yet more travel disruption following the chaotic scenes in London and Dover this week.

Sir Patrick Vallance said cases of the mutant strain had spread ‘everywhere’ in the UK and warned England to brace itself for further restrictions in the New Year.

‘I think it is likely that this will grow in numbers of the variant across the country and I think it’s likely, therefore, that measures will need to be increased in some places, in due course, not reduced,’ Sir Patrick said.

Ministers are also said to be considering keeping schools closed in January amid concerns the new strain spreads faster in young people.



It has been said the mutant strain of the virus has now spread ‘everywhere’


Imperial College London epidemiologist, Professor Neil Ferguson, said data so far suggested that the new variant ‘has a higher propensity to infect children’.

He said they found ‘statistically significantly higher’ rates among under-15s compared with those of the standard virus.

The fast-spreading strain, which Boris Johnson said could have up to 70% more transmissibility, has already caused huge disruption across the nation.

Britons had been looking forward to seeing loved ones for five days over the festive period but hopes were dashed after those in tiers one, two and three were told they could only meet with other households on Christmas Day.

But for London and many parts of the south east, Christmas was cancelled completely as they were plunged into tier four restrictions due to high rates of the new variant in those regions.


Thousands of lorry drivers have been stuck at Dover for days over the French travel ban


Hundreds fled London on Saturday night in chaotic scenes at train stations, in a bid to avoid cancelling Christmas plans before plans came into effect.

Meanwhile, several countries in Europe closed their borders to the UK amid fears of the mutant strain, with France’s travel ban causing a build-up of thousands of lorries at Dover.

France this evening confirmed it will lift the ban from Wednesday to all who test negative for coronavirus.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×