PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has tonight (Tuesday) outlined a series of new coronavirus rules, in a bid to control case numbers across the UK.

⬇️ Scroll down for a link to see the statement in full ⬇️

Earlier, Public Health England confirmed cases in the UK had passed 400,000, with the daily rise of 4,926 the highest 24-hour increase since May 7.

Speaking at Westminster at lunchtime, in advance of tonight's televised statement, the Prime Minister told MPs: “In the last fortnight daily hospital admissions in England have more than doubled.

“Tens of thousands of daily infections in October would, as night follows day, lead to hundreds of daily deaths in November and those numbers would continue to grow unless we act.”

Read today's coronavirus developments in our blog: Covid-19 blog - coronavirus news for the Isle of Wight on Tuesday September 22

What are the new regulations?

Work and hospitality

Isle of Wight County Press:

  • Work from home if you can do so
  • In professions where this is not possible, such as construction or retail, people should continue to attend workplaces.
  • Face masks should be worn by people working in retail, those travelling in taxis, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality except while seated at a table to eat or drink.
  • 10pm curfew to start from Thursday for bars, pubs and restaurants across England
  • All pubs, bars and restaurants must operate a table service only, except for takeaways.

Sports and leisure

Isle of Wight County Press:

  • Exemptions to the 'rule of six' will be reduced, banning indoor team sport – such as indoor five-a-side football matches.
  • The planned return of spectators to sports venues will now not go ahead from October 1.


New fines for those who don't wear a face mask

  • Penalty for failing to wear a mask or breaking the rule of six will now double to £200 for a first offence.


Education and worship

  • Schools, colleges, universities and places of worship WILL remain open


Weddings and funerals

Isle of Wight County Press:

  • Wedding ceremonies and receptions across England will be capped at 15 people from Monday, September 28.
  • Up to 30 people can still attend a funeral in England for now.

Boris Johnson says acting now means "we can keep people in work, we can keep shops and schools open and we can keep our country moving forward.

"Never in our history has our collective destiny and health depended to completely on our individual behaviour."

See the statement in full here....

The Prime Minister says medical experts are 'unanimous' that things will be better by the spring.

He says there is a 'dream' for testing that will provide a result 'in minutes'.

Earlier, Boris Johnson warned the new restrictions could remain in place for 'perhaps six months.'

He told the Commons: “I fervently want to avoid taking this step, as do the devolved administrations but we will only be able to avoid it if our new measures work and our behaviour changes.

“We will spare no effort in developing vaccines, treatments, new forms of mass-testing but unless we palpably make progress we should assume restrictions will remain in place for perhaps six months."