Last night Boris Johnson addressed the nation to announce that England is heading back into national lockdown after an alarming rise in infections

Boris Johnson made the decision to put England on lockdown after the head of the NHS said plans were being drawn up to use ice rinks as mortuaries if hospitals became overwhelmed.

The Prime Minister confirmed that England will go into a four week lockdown on Thursday at a hastily arranged press conference last night.

Mr Johnson had resisted calls for a circuit breaker lockdown, but changed his mind after data suggested the virus has spread beyond previous worst fears.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the delay in imposing a second national lockdown in England will have a “very real” human cost and cause restrictions to drag on for longer.

Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops will be forced to close, and people will again be banned from leaving their homes except for very specific reasons from Thursday.

Under the new measures, which need approval from Parliament, pubs and restaurants will close, mixing between households will be banned, except for childcare and support bubbles, while schools will remain open.