Boris Johnson has warned that coronavirus restrictions are likely to get "tougher" within weeks - and failed to rule out new Tier 5 measures.
Amid spiralling infection rates, the Prime Minister hinted that Covid rules in England could be hardened to cope with the new highly-infectious strain.
Mr Johnson urged parents to send their children back to primary schools on Monday - insisting classrooms were safe. But he admitted that school closures could be needed to contain the spread of the virus.
It comes after coronavirus cases surged above 50,000 for the fifth day in a row on Saturday, with a record-high of 57,725 lab-confirmed cases and another 445 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
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