Covid press conference today: What time is the announcement?
The health secretary, Sajid Javid, is to hold a Covid briefing at Downing Street this afternoon as UK cases surge.
The press conference, the first to be held in more than a month, will take place at 5pm on Wednesday in the Downing Street press briefing room.
Follow live: Sajid Javid to lead Covid press conference
Mr Javid will discuss the use of new antiviral drugs to help treat Covid-19 but is also likely to be asked about the country’s worsening Covid cases figures.
On Tuesday, the government said a further 223 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 - bringing the UK total to 138,852.
While the numbers are often higher on Tuesdays because of a lag in reporting deaths and cases over the weekend, this is the highest figure for daily reported deaths since 9 March.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average for cases is standing at 44,145 cases per day - the highest level for almost three months.
Southwest England has recorded its highest rate of new Covid-19 cases since comparable figures began in summer 2020, when mass testing was first introduced across the UK.
Want us to report on an issue that matters to you? Contact us by clicking here
Ministers are coming under pressure to bring back some Covid restrictions, with one NHS leader saying without them the country risks “stumbling into a winter crisis“.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, urged the government to implement the back-up strategy which involves measures including bringing back mandatory face coverings in public places.
Downing Street said it was keeping a ”very close eye“ on rising case rates, but added the Prime Minister has ”absolutely no plan to introduce Plan B“, which could also involve introducing vaccine passports for nightclub entry.
*The announcement will be broadcast on the BBC News channel and the 10 Downing Street YouTube channel.
