UK

Along with the rest of England, people in the West Yorkshire city of Wakefield are beginning a new lockdown. Until 2 December, at least, the majority of households cannot mix indoors or outdoors, non-essential shops will close along with hospitality venues, beauty services and leisure facilities. In Wakefield, the prospect of another month under lockdown

Boris Johnson has warned of deaths “on a grievous scale” without further action to stem the spread of coronavirus infections. As he opened a House of Commons debate on England’s new lockdown, the prime minister urged MPs to vote in favour of a second national shutdown later on Wednesday. Mr Johnson said he was “not

People who ignore coronavirus restrictions should be prepared to “face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement”, police have warned. The chief constables of five forces in the north-west of England have said in an open letter that they will “collectively target” the minority of people who break the rules by holding large gatherings, music

In scenes reminiscent of the first lockdown in March, some supermarket shelves have begun emptying once more, ahead of the second lockdown in England. Social media users have shared pictures of empty shelves where usually there would be toilet roll, bread, vegetables and meat, despite stores insisting there are no stock shortages. Live updates on

The entire population of the COVID-19 hotspot city of Liverpool will be regularly offered a coronavirus test in a pilot scheme using the armed forces. The city, which has been under Tier 3 restrictions for nearly three weeks and has one of the highest coronavirus rates in England at 366.4 cases per 100,000, volunteered for

Police in South Gloucestershire have closed down an illegal rave at a warehouse near Bristol – attended by up to 700 people – describing it as an “incredibly challenging operation”. The Avon and Somerset force said they was called to reports of an unlicensed music event in Millbrook Road, Yate, at around 10.35pm on Saturday,

England’s month-long lockdown could be extended beyond 2 December if necessary, cabinet minister Michael Gove has told Sky News. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the Tory frontbencher also defended the introduction of the nationwide restrictions, having previously rejected it, arguing the “situation has been worse than anyone expected”. He also warned that the NHS

England will enter a month-long lockdown from Thursday, Boris Johnson has announced. Until 2 December, people in England will only be allowed to leave their homes for specific reasons, such as education, work or food shopping. Mr Johnson, speaking at a Downing Street news conference on Saturday evening, said there was “no alternative” to a

Cosmetic practitioners are warning about the dangers of seeking “back alley” treatments during lockdown. Professional clinics offering procedures such as lip fillers and botox are closed again, prompting concerns that some may turn to unregulated and often untrained practitioners. Some doctors say the last lockdown resulted in large increases in people needing corrective treatments after

The prime minister is considering new national lockdown restrictions, which could be imposed in England as early as next week. Whitehall sources confirmed Boris Johnson met his most senior cabinet colleagues on Friday to discuss the possible toughening of restrictions in light of worsening coronavirus infection rates and hospital admission data. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health

Carlisle and its surrounding areas have joined a raft of new regions in England that have moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions. The new rules apply to the city itself, Longtown and Brampton, and come after weekly infection rates surpassed the national average. The announcement was made on Friday evening, with a

More than 560,000 people had coronavirus in England last week with the number of infections rising steeply among secondary school children, figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest. The figures also suggest around 1 in 100 people had COVID-19 in England for the week between 17 and 23 October, as the number of cases

Police hunting a man suspected of killing two people have found a third body which could be linked to him. West Midlands Police have warned that Anthony Russell, 38, is extremely dangerous and should not be approached by members of the public. He is being sought by detectives following the murders of mother and son

The Duchess of Sussex has won her bid to have a privacy action against a tabloid newspaper delayed until next year. Meghan, 39, is suing Associated Newspapers and claims publication of parts of a handwritten letter to Thomas Markle in the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline last year was a misuse of her private information

The COVID-19 epidemic has reached a “critical stage” with almost 100,000 people a day in England being infected as the spread of the coronavirus rapidly increases, scientists have warned. Researchers from Imperial College London say existing measures to control the virus aren’t working. And they argue more stringent action is needed nationwide “sooner rather than

The whole of Nottinghamshire will go into Tier 3 lockdown on Friday, Sky News understands. Nottingham City, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe council areas had already been preparing to enter Tier 3 restrictions at midnight tonight. The exact details of the measures were expected to be announced on Tuesday. Instead, the entire county will go into