Fury as Boris Johnson ‘sacrifices’ family Christmas for 20m with Tier 4 lockdown and bubbles axed

BORIS Johnson provoked fury by cancelling Christmas for nearly 20million people last night in a bid to halt a rampant mutant strain of coronavirus.

The PM slapped draconian new Tier 4 measures on London, the South East and East of England, admitting “bitter regret” at axing family get-togethers.

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The new strain is 70 per cent more contagious and on the brink of overwhelming hospitals in the worst-hit areas.

Mr Johnson told 18million people they must "sacrifice" Christmas this year.

Travel and mixing households are banned from today under the new highest level resctrictions - with families elsewhere only allowed to form Christmas bubbles for one day on December 25 itself.

The drastic move will dash families' hopes of Christmas together after a torrid year and force millions of people to stay home for weeks to come.

Almost 18million people live in the new Tier 4 areas - with restrictions similar to the second national lockdown in November,

Mr Johnson said the tough crackdown will help save lives as a new mutant strain of coronavirus which is 70 per cent more contagious sweeps through the south of England.

He said: "Yes, Christmas this year will be very different, but we must be realistic. 

"We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases. "

In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon introduced a travel ban to other parts of the UK and announced a brutal three week lockdown from Boxing Day.

The First Minister said 17 cases of the new mutant strain of Covid has been identified north of the border.

Wales will also go into lockdown today while Northern Ireland will enter a six-week shutdown on December 26.

Click the links below to find out more...

• Boris Johnson today cancelled Christmas for millions as he put London, the South East and East in Tier 4 lockdown
• A new mutant strain of Covid-19 is becoming the "dominant variant" of the disease and may be up to 70% more contagious
• All Brits have been told to stay local during the festive season
• Christmas bubbles in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 have been cut to just 24 hours on December 25
• Non-essential shops and gyms in Tier 4 areas must be closed from midnight
• Those in Tier 4 will be able to meet only one other person outdoors - but must not stay overnight from home
• Wales will go into lockdown from tonight and people can 'bubble' for Christmas day only
• Scotland banned travel from the rest of the UK to stop the new strain spreading and will go into the toughest lockdown measures on Boxing Day

In England, the PM warned the nation he could not ignore the terrifying new strain and vowed: "We have to act to protect the public."

Mr Johnson said: "As Prime Minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country. 

"Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.

"I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me."

He said people would be "disappointed" but vowed he was following the science as a result of the new rapidly-spreading strain.

The PM said he "bitterly regretted" cancelling holidays for millions of people. The new restrictions would be reviewed again on December 30.

People throughout England are advised to "stay local" and avoid overseas travel, while those in Tier 4 will only be able to go abroad for essential business.

There were 27,000 positive Covid-19 cases recorded today, the latest stats showed.

The PM had insisted just five days ago that Christmas will still go ahead for families - and it would be "inhuman" to cancel it.

The PM’s announcement was savaged by senior Tories.

A senior Government source said: “It’s f*****g grim and f*****g bleak”.

And a former minister said: “Banning Christmas will be the final straw for many voters.

“If Boris has got this wrong then no one will forgive him.”

MPs will be fuming as the new lockdown will be done via emergency laws - and immediately they demanded a new vote on the tougher measures.

But the Commons started its Christmas break on Thursday evening - and politicians won't go back until January unless there's a Brexit deal to vote on when they will be recalled.

Mr Johnson said today "there will be a chance for parliament to consider them" but it won't be for weeks to come.

Mark Harper MP, Chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, said this evening: "This is a very sad day. Lockdowns and increasingly severe tiered restrictions have failed in their goal of slowing the transmission of Covid.

"And now the Government is expecting people to sacrifice the chance to share Christmas with family, friends and loved ones, just a few days after promising the opposite.

LET US VOTE

“If the Government wants the support of the public and Parliament, it must publish a clear exit strategy from this nightmarish, cycle of damaging lockdowns and restrictions.

“More immediately, given the 3 tier system and the initial Christmas household rules were expressly authorised by the House of Commons, these changes must also be put to a vote in the Commons at the earliest opportunity, even if that means a recall of the House.”

US President Donald Trump slammed the UK shutdown, tweeting: "We don’t want to have lockdowns. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself!"

The draconian move comes in response to a new mutant strain of the coronavirus, which was identified in the South East back in September, which is now spreading throughout Britain.

Sir Patrick Vallance said the new strain has become “the dominant variant” of Covid because it spreads up to 70 per cent faster - a fact which has spooked health bosses.

But the new breed of the disease is not believed to be more deadly or cause any worse illness and should still be affected by the vaccine, the experts have said.

Sir Patrick said: This new variant not only moves fast but it is becoming the dominant variant.

"It is beating all the others in terms of transmission."

He said the "working assumption " of scientists was that the vaccines that had been developed should be able to deal with it.

The Government's Scientific Advisory Group (Sage) warned that without action the new strain could add 0.4 to the R number - representing the reproduction rate - which was already estimated at 1.1. to 1.2.

And Professor Chris Whitty begged people not to flee the capital tonight, saying: "If you have packed a bag, unpack it."

But he stressed a message of hope for the future as it was revealed that 350,000 people across the UK have been vaccinated now.

Deaths are lower than at the height of the first wave, with better treatments and more knowledge of the virus, he said.

The Prime Minister added: "There is now hope – real hope – that we will soon be rid of this virus. That prospect is growing with every day that passes and every vaccine dose administered.

"As sure as night follows day, we will beat back this virus. We will defeat it. And we will reclaim our lives."

'ALARMING' STATS

He said that while there was no evidence the new strain is more lethal, urgent work was underway to investigate it.

Prof Whitty said today the new variant - known as VUI 2020/01 - had been around since early September.

He said: "If you have a high rate of this variant then it is not held by the tiers.

"Our big worry is that it’s going up in terms of percentage of where it is.

"We are really keen that people do not go from these areas.. this is a bad moment."

It was revealed that the new strain, known as VUI-2020/12/01, is responsible for 62 per cent of cases in London, up from 28 per cent last month.

It accounts for 59 per cent of cases in the East of England and 43 per cent in the South East.

And there are fears people are catching the virus despite wearing PPE and socially distancing.

A health source said: “The last 48 hours have changed everything.”

It could be weeks until it is known just how dangerous the new breed of Covid-19 could be.

Meanwhile, stats released yesterday show those living with Covid in England have risen by almost a fifth in a week.

The ONS said 567,300 people had the bug between December 6 and 12 — equal to one person in 95. The latest reproduction R number is now between 1.1 and 1.2.

But the public do appear to be listening to the Government — as official figures show only half of Brits are planning to form a festive bubble.

That includes 26 per cent saying they plan to visit family and friends but not stay overnight compared with 52 per cent last year.

DRACONIAN TIER 4

Only four per cent plan to meet in restaurants, cafes or bars compared with 44 per cent last year.

The PM is still coming under fire from Tories and hospitality chiefs, who want measures lifted as soon as possible, plus gloomy scientists who predict more lockdowns.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said people should consider postponing Christmas socialising until Easter.

And Prof Neil Ferguson, whose modelling led to March’s first lockdown, suggested a more severe third national lockdown may be needed.

Prof John Edmunds, of the Sage science advisory body, warned: “Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the tier system is holding back the epidemic wave. We are going to have to look at these measures and perhaps tighten them.”