Boris Johnson speech: What did PM say in Covid Christmas announcement today, December 19?

BORIS Johnson has cancelled Christmas bubbles in London and in parts of the south east and east of England as he plunged those regions into new Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions.

The Prime Minister’s dramatic u-turn comes after he was spooked about a new strain of the disease that is “spreading rapidly” in the south-east of the country.

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What did Boris Johnson announce in Covid Christmas speech?

Boris Johnson has announced the introduction of a new Tier 4 where stricter restrictions will come into force in London, the south east and East of England.

It will be broadly equivalent to national restrictions that were in place in November.

The restrictions will come into force from midnight on Sunday, December 20.

Tier 4 measures will include:

  • Non-essential shops and gyms in Tier 4 areas must be closed from midnight
  • The “stay at home” message is expected to be law
  • The plan to allow Brits to form social bubbles over five days will be ditched, with only those in Tiers 1 to 3 allowed to form a bubble on Christmas Day itself
  • International travel abroad is not advised – but won't be banned
  • People should not enter or leave Tier 4
  • People can only meet one person from another household in an outside space
  • The new rules will be in place for at least a fortnight until 30 December – after Christmas
  • Support bubbles will be still allowed
  • Communal worship can continue

Brits should stay local in all tiers, the Prime Minister warned.

"As Prime Minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country," Boris said.

"Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.

"We have said throughout this pandemic that we must all be guided by science. When the science changes, we must change our response."

By acting now, Boris said the public will give "itself a better chance of protecting their lives and see them at future Christmases".

Medics issued a chilling warning that the new virus strain is 50 per cent more contagious than previous Covid-19 cases.

It could increase the R rate by 0.4 and the new strain could be 77 per cent more transmissible than the original disease.

The draconian restrictions make the chances of a third national lockdown increasingly likely.

The Sun understands evidence shows a dramatic hike in positive cases in London in the past week.

Last night a government source told The Sun: “What we do not know yet is whether the new strain is more or less likely to cause you harm, but what we have learnt is that it will pass to person to person much more easily and that is what we are really worried about.”

The new strain is blamed for a sudden surge in hospitalisations.

And there are fears people are catching the virus despite wearing PPE and socially distancing.

A further 4.5million people — 38million in all — woke up in Tier 3 restrictions today.

Wales and Northern Ireland have already announced a post-festive shutdown. But Boris said he was “hoping very much that we’ll be able to avoid anything like that”.

He urged the public to avoid spreading the deadly bug over Christmas and reiterated the three household bubble was a limit, not a target people should aim for.

Praising Brits, the PM said: “I think people really get this. All the evidence I’m seeing, people understand this is the time to look after our elderly relatives and avoid spreading the disease.

“Keep it short, keep it small, have yourselves a very little Christmas as I said the other night — that is, I’m afraid, the way through this year.

"Next year I’ve no doubt that as we roll out the vaccine it will be very different indeed.”

Stats released yesterday showed those living with Covid in England have risen by almost a fifth in a week.

The ONS said 567,300 people had the bug between December 6 and 12 — equal to one person in 95. The latest reproduction R number is now between 1.1 and 1.2.

What areas will come under Tier 4 restrictions?

  • Kent
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Berkshire
  • Surrey (excluding Waverley)
  • The boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings
  • All 32 London boroughs and the city of London.
  • Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough
  • Hertfordshire
  • Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).

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What time was Boris Johnson's Covid speech today?

Boris Johnson addressed the nation at 4pm on Saturday, December 19, from No.10 Downing Street.

He was accompanied by England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Prime Minister held a cabinet call to discuss the tightening of coronavirus restrictions.

It comes as….

  • Boris Johnson today cancelled Christmas for millions as he put London, the South East and East in Tier 4 lockdown
  • The new variant strain of the virus which causes Covid-19 may be up to 70% more transmissible – and could increase the R value by 0.4
  • All Brits have been told to stay local during the festive season
  • Christmas bubbles in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 have been cut to just 24 hours on December 25
  • Non-essential shops and gyms in Tier 4 areas must be closed from midnight
  • Those in Tier 4 will be able to meet only one other person outdoors – but must not stay overnight from home

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