England, Scotland and Wales Expand Lockdown As COVID-19 Variant Spreads

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new coronavirus variant was spreading rapidly, and Tier-4 restrictions would apply in all areas in the South East, London, and the East of England. The variant has accounted for over 60% of new COVID-19 cases in London over the past week.

People living in Tier-4 areas must follow the expanded rules over the Christmas period. This means that you cannot meet other people indoors unless you ordinarily live with them, or they are part of your existing support bubble. And when outdoors, you can only meet (1) person from another household.

First Minister Mark Drakeford stated Wales would also lock down from Sunday as "hundreds of people" had caught this new "more aggressive" strain, reported the BBC on December 20, 2020.