Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce the closure of most schools in Britain with immediate effect — the BBC reports.

A set of new national restrictions similar to the national lockdown in March are likely to be announced, with the public urged to follow them from midnight

People will be told to work from home unless they are a key worker, or it is not possible for them to do so, for example construction workers.

Schools will close again for most pupils, political editor Laura Kuenssberg reported tonight.

It is not clear when the measures will next be reviewed, but MPs are likely receive a vote to approve them retrospectively on Wednesday (January 6).

This comes after the rapid rises in coronavirus cases and admissions to the NHS.

And after the Joint Biosecurity Centre raised the alert from the pandemic to level five tonight, which means the NHS is at risk from being overwhelmed and that a national lockdown is imminent.

It is also understood Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, told the PM the new more infectious variant of coronavirus is spreading now throughout the country.