BORIS Johnson is expected to follow Scotland's lead and announce tougher lockdown restrictions to control the spread of Covid.
The PM will make a televised address setting out new emergency measures following Nicola Sturgeon's update to Holyrood on new restrictions including a legal stay at home order and schools closed to most pupils until February.
Following her announcement, the First Minister told MSPs: "I understand the Prime Minister is due to speak at 8 o'clock this evening, and I can't obviously predict what he's going to say but I suspect it will not be dissimilar to here."
IN FULL: Nicola Sturgeon's statement on tougher lockdown restrictions
A No 10 spokesman said that Johnson's statement was in response to the “rapidly escalating” numbers of infections following the emergence of the new variant.
The speech, to be made at 8pm on Monday, will be followed by the recall of Parliament on Wednesday so MPs can debate the measures.
A No 10 spokesman said: “The spread of the new variant of Covid-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.
“The Prime Minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives.”
It comes as Johnson came under fire for for delaying the announcement of another national lockdown.
The Prime Minister warned of “tough, tough” weeks to come and said was “no question” about the need for stricter measures which would be announced “in due course”.
READ MORE: Backlash as Boris Johnson delays tougher Covid lockdown announcement
SNP MP Stewart McDonald hit out at Johnson's approach, saying: "New measures are being announced in Scotland in just over two hours. Why on earth can't Boris Johnson get a sense of urgency and do his damn job?"
Setting out the measures to come into force from Tuesday, the First Minister told MSPs in Holyrood: “It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.”
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon announces stay at home order and two person limit on outdoor gatherings
Earlier, during a visit to a vaccination centre in north London, Mr Johnson acknowledged there was “no question” the further measures would be necessary, as cases continue to surge across the country.
The latest data show a 41% rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in hospital in England between Christmas Day and January 3, figures which have caused alarm in Whitehall and the health service.
While ministers hailed the rollout of the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Johnson warned the nation needed to prepare for some “tough” weeks ahead as the jab was extended to the most vulnerable.
With 78% of England’s population already under the toughest current restrictions, ministers have been examining how successful the Tier 4 measures – which came into force for the first time on December 20 – have been.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt called for immediate action to close schools, shut borders and ban household mixing, saying the situation was “off-the-scale worse” than previous winter crises faced by the NHS.
“In the face of exponential growth even waiting an extra day causes many avoidable deaths so these plans must now be urgently accelerated,” he said.
Senior Tory Neil O’Brien said procedures “need to toughen up at the border” in order to prevent cases being imported – a particular concern given the potential for new variants such as the one in South Africa.
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