What time is Boris Johnson’s press conference today?

Boris Johnson will speak from Downing Street today

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead at press conference at 5pm this evening as millions more people are expected to be plunged into strict tier 4 coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Johnson will speak from Downing Street after a succession of announcements including the approval of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which areas will move into harsher Covid-19 measures and an update on if pupils will be returning to school in January.

The PM’s press conference will follow just hours after Health Secretary Matt Hancock gives an update to the House of Commons on what restrictions will be introduced.

Large swathes of the north-east of England are expected to be put into harsher measures and the NHS comes under increasing pressure due to soaring infection rates throughout the country.

There will also be an update on schools from Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on if schools will reopen in January.

There has been growing concern from teaching unions and scientists about the spread of the virus following the discovery of its much more transmissible variant.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the aim is to "protect education as much as possible" but acknowledged the challenge posed by the new variant.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The Education Secretary will be setting out his proposals later today. Clearly we want to protect education as much as possible.

"But the new variant does make it much easier for this disease to transmit. So we are going to protect education as much as we can."

Boris Johnson was due to chair a key meeting on Wednesday looking at delaying the reopening of secondary schools, according to the Daily Telegraph.