Next steps out of Covid lockdown to be announced today

The next steps out of lockdown are expected to be set out this week alongside more clarity on the plan for meeting up over Christmas.

• Today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to set out that the three-tier regional system will remain for England but will outline that each tier will become more stringent than previously. It is not expected to be confirmed which tier each region will be placed in until Thursday although it has already been confirmed that more areas will be in higher tiers than prior to the current lockdown.
• In terms of the plan for Christmas, expectations are that a limited number of households (maybe 3-4) can form an extended support bubble over a few days of the Christmas period (reports range from three days up to seven (22-28 Dec)). This plan is expected to encompass the home nations (England, Scotland and Wales) with a separate plan expected to cover the island of Ireland. It is unclear whether any details of this will be set out on Monday or come later in the week, perhaps part of the Thursday announcement detailing which region is placed into which tier (although if past precedent is a guide we will likely hear the official plan for Nicola Sturgeon before Boris Johnson).