England will enter a month-long lockdown from Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced.
Until 2 December, people in England will only be allowed to leave their homes for specific reasons, such as education, work or food shopping.
Schools, colleges and universities will stay open while those who cannot work from home, such as construction or manufacturing workers, will be encouraged to go to their places of work.
Pubs, bars and restaurants will close across the country, although they will be able to offer takeaway and delivery services.
Round Corner Brewing based within the Cattle Market offered a delivery service during the last lockdown. Photo: Beth Walsh.
Non-essential shops, hairdressers and leisure and entertainment venues will also be shut.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Photo: Downing Street
Different households will be banned from mixing, although support bubbles and childcare bubbles will remain and children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated.
Gyms will be shut but people can continue to exercise for unlimited periods outdoors, either with people from their own households or on a one-to-one basis with one person from another household.
People will be able to travel internationally for work, but won't be allowed to go abroad for holidays.
Premier League football and other elite sports will be allowed to continue, due to the testing regimes in place for professional sportspeople, but amateur sports will be put on hold.
Cottesmore Captain Jordy Smith during a recent amateur game. Photo: NEMM.
The prime minister announced the new nationwide restrictions at a Downing Street news conference, at which he said that "now is the time to take action, because there is no alternative".
MPs are expected to vote on the fresh measures on Wednesday.
Prime Minster Johnson has taken the action after warnings from the government's scientific advisers that hospitals could run out of beds by early December without new measures.
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