Boris Johnson is reportedly preparing to impose a national lockdown from as early as Wednesday.
The restrictions could see everything except nurseries, schools, universities and essential shops close across England until Dec 1, according to The Times.
Meanwhile, the current furlough scheme, which has provided financial support for one in every 13 workers in the UK, ends today.
The furlough scheme will be replaced with the less generous Job Support Scheme tomorrow, November 1.
The news comes as the UK recorded another 274 coronavirus deaths and 24,405 new cases yesterday.
The total death toll now stands at 46,229, and there have been 989,745 official cases – jumping by 31% in just one week, and very near the 1 million mark.
- Month-long national lockdown ‘the only way to save Christmas’, scientists say
- Eat Out To Help Out ‘accelerated second wave of Covid-19’
- UK’s coronavirus R rate drops as low as 1.1
- Manchester to run out of intensive care beds ‘within days’