The mounting pressure is not breaking news, its been simmering as infection numbers surge.

But, useful as a catch-up.

ITV:

  • more than a dozen areas are due to move into a higher level of restrictions.
  • NHS Test and Trace system recording its highest ever weekly number of positive cases
  • study by Imperial College London finding that almost 100,000 people are catching Covid-19 every day
  • Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government would not rule anything out.

Countering:

  • Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the government will "try everything in our power" to avoid a "blanket national lockdown".
  • He said the government's "very firm view" is that a short national "circuit-breaker" lockdown would be the wrong approach, adding: "You can't have a stop-start country."