Coronavirus news – live: More than half of England enters lockdown as government advisor calls for circuit breaker

Coronavirus news – live: More than half of England enters lockdown as government advisor calls for circuit breaker

More than half of England - 28 million people - has been placed under heightened coronavirus restrictions.

It comes as Sir John Bell, a member of the UK's vaccine taskforce, called for a circuit breaker and said the situation in the country was "pretty grave“.

Pubs in Lancashire that are not restaurants were closed on Saturday, as it joined the Liverpool region in the tier 3 restrictions.

Meanwhile, people in London, Essex, Elmbridge, Barrow-in-Furness, North East Derbyshire, Erewash and Chesterfield are no longer allowed to mix inside with those from other households, including in pubs and restaurants.

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Further restrictions could cause 'irreparable damage' to Greater Manchester's economy, council leader says

Further coronavirus restrictions would cause "irreparable damage" to Greater Manchester's economy without financial support from Westminster, the leader of Oldham Council has said.

Sean Fielding told