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Boris Johnson to unveil new coronavirus measures on Monday

The prime minister will come to parliament to detail measures to MPs (Getty Images)
The prime minister will come to parliament to detail measures to MPs (Getty Images)

Boris Johnson will make a statement to MPs on Monday outlining new coronavirus restrictions for England.

The prime minister is expected to outline a "three tier" system that would simplify the patchwork of different rules that currently exists in different local authority areas.

As of Friday night the government is thought to be still finalising the different measures.

The most strict measures are expected to be agreed with local chiefs in advance before they are implemented.

But they are expected to include rules that would mandate the closure of pubs and restaurants again.

It comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Friday spelled out new help for businesses forced to close in the worst-hit areas.

The government will cover two thirds of workers' wages in firms whose premises are shut down by law.

Some areas of the north of England and midlands are already subject to existing restrictions - but there is no coherent framework governing them.

This has led to criticism that the current set of rules are difficult to understand in comparison to the start of the pandemic, where a simple set of rules applied across the country.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions programme on Friday night that there was "a merit to simplicity". He suggested that there could be a baseline of national measures with local authorities adding extra restrictions on top, because "local leaders will know best".

The government has been criticised throughout the pandemic for poor engagement with local and regional authorities over changes to regulations and the sharing of data for contact tracing.

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