UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson says new restrictions ‘likely to remain in force for six months’

7.46am EDT 07:46

Johnson says these measures will apply in England.

He says the fine for not wearing a mask or breaking the rule of six will double, to £200.

But the devolved administrations are taking similar steps, he says.

7.44am EDT 07:44

New rules on face coverings and wedding attendance

Second, Johnson says, from Thursday pubs and restaurants will have to offer table service, except for takeaways. And they will close from 10pm.

Third, staff in retail and indoor hospitality will have to wear masks. And they will be needed in taxis.

Fourth, Covid-secure workplace rules will become a legal obligation.

Fifth, the rule of six will be amended so that only 15 people can attend weddings from Monday.

And, sixth, from 1 October the plan to ease the rules for sports evens will be suspended.

Boris Johnson addresses MPs. Photograph: Parliament TV

Updated at 7.53am EDT

7.41am EDT 07:41

Work from home if you can, PM confirms

Johnson says the government is acting “on the principle that a stitch in time saves nine”.

He says he will announce measures for England intend to protect people, while minimising the impact on livelihoods.

First, office workers are being asked to work from home.

But if people need to go to work, they should continue to do so.

MPs will continue to work in a Covid-secure way, he says.

Updated at 7.43am EDT

7.40am EDT 07:40

Johnson says he would like to be able to say that the increase in new cases is just driven by more testing. But the positivity rate is going up too, he says.

He says in the last fortnight hospital admissions in England have doubled.

And he says Covid is likely to spread more in the autumn.

Yesterday the Covid alert level was increased to 4.

So this is the moment when we must act, he says.

7.38am EDT 07:38

UK at ‘perilous turning point’, says Johnson

Boris Johnson is starting now.

He says he will comment on the rising number of cases, and how we must act now.

At every stage the government has struck a delicate balance, he says, between the need to protect people, and the need to allow life to go on.

But the prospect of a second wave was real, he says. He says the UK is at a “perilous turning point”.

He says the doubling rate for new cases could be between seven and 20 days.

7.33am EDT 07:33

The Boris Johnson statement will start in three minutes.

Justice questions is over, but the Speaker suspends business for three minutes to allow MPs to leave and enter the chamber in a socially distanced manner.

7.28am EDT 07:28

The proportion of pupils attending schools in England since their full reopening has dropped amid concerns about access to Covid-19 tests, PA Media reports.

And the number of schools that were not fully open on Thursday due to suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus has increased from the week before.

Approximately 87% of students were in school on 17 September, which is down from 88% on 10 September, according to Department for Education statistics.

The number of state schools that were not fully open due to suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases rose to 4% last Thursday, from 1% the week before.

Updated at 7.35am EDT

7.24am EDT 07:24

Boris Johnson’s Commons statement on coronavirus

Boris Johnson is due to start his Commons statement on coronavirus at 12.30pm.

Some 70 MPs are down to ask him a question. The list of names is here.

Boris Johnson leaving No 10 a few minutes ago, ahead of his Commons statement. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

7.22am EDT 07:22

Seven in 10 of the deaths of working age adults involving coronavirus between March 9 and June 30 were likely to be the result of an infection acquired before lockdown, new figures show.

As PA Media reports, there were 5,330 deaths involving Covid-19 of 20-64-year-olds in England and Wales, according to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report. Of these, some 72%, or 3,839 deaths, occurred on or before April 25 and are likely to be as a result of an infection acquired before lockdown.

The ONS’s assumption is based on evidence that the maximum time from infection to symptom onset is 14 days, and there are around 20 days on average from symptom onset to death.