Boris Johnson is expected to announce new national restrictions for England, similar to the March blockade, as the UK scenario remains bleak. For the seventh consecutive day, the number of new cases registered is more than 50 thousand – 58.784 on Monday, with 407 new deaths. In a televised speech at 20:00 GMT, the PM is likely to urge the public to follow the new rules starting at midnight. Covid’s national alert level has risen to five – its highest level – and pressure has been mounting on ministers, who admit that England’s level system is not strong enough to contain the new, more contagious variant. Sir Keir Starmer of the Labor Party is leading calls for impending blockades across the country, such as those in March, with the PM himself saying yes. Parliament is being called back early from the Christmas holiday to be able to vote on any new measures on Wednesday.