Coronavirus news you may have missed overnight: More than 100 anti-lockdown protesters arrested in London

Boris Johnson told the nation he hoped everyone will have “as normal a Christmas as possible” providing people follow the government’s lockdown rules in a press briefing on the first day of England’s second shutdown.

The prime minister’s statement followed the publication of the latest government figures, which showed that a further 24,141 people had tested positive and 378 more had died within 28 days of a positive test.

Meanwhile, NHS Test and Trace data revealed that the £12 private-sector operated system had reached less than 60 per cent of close contacts – the worst result since the system was launched in May.

On Thursday afternoon, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, announced the furlough scheme would be extended until March, meaning 80 per cent of wages would be paid to staff to avoid mass job losses as large swathes of the economy take a hit, with the hospitality and retail sector already shuttered for a month.

Here’s the coronavirus news you may have missed overnight.

Million Mask March: Anti-lockdown protesters arrested in London on first night of shutdown

More than 100 anti-lockdown protesters have been arrested in central London on the first night of England’s second coronavirus shutdown.

Scores of demonstrators remained “kettled” by police on Oxford Street at 9pm on Thursday night after hundreds marched from Trafalgar Square despite Covid-19 restrictions and a heavy police presence.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement the majority of 104 arrests were for "breaches of the coronavirus regulations".

Covid-19 connected to more severe stroke outcomes, study suggests

People who have strokes while infected with the coronavirus appear to have more than double the mortality rate, a study has suggested.

They also seem to be affected more severely and left with greater disability, according to the findings published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

The study suggests people of Asian descent might be more likely to experience Covid-19-associated ischaemic strokes – those caused by blockage of blood vessels supplying the brain – than those in other demographic groups in the UK.

The researchers analysed evidence from 86 people who had a stroke in England or Scotland while infected with Covid-19, between March and July this year, and compared them to 1,384 stroke cases during the same period in people who did not have any evidence of Covid-19.

Dominic Raab self-isolating after coming into contact with someone who has Covid

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab is self-isolating after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

Mr Raab himself has not tested positive, and it was not immediately clear whether he was getting a test, as he will have to isolate for 14 days even if it came back negative.

A source close to Mr Raab said in a statement: “The foreign secretary was today informed that an individual with whom he has been in recent close contact with has tested positive for coronavirus.

"In line with government regulations and NHS Track and Trace rules, the foreign secretary has taken immediate steps to self-isolate for the required period. He will continue to work remotely during this time.”

Covid: Liverpool pilot scheme may be flawed as accuracy of new tests remains unknown

Scientists have warned the government’s multi-million-pound plan to mass test everyone in Liverpool for Covid-19 in a bid to bring the virus under control may be fundamentally flawed — because the tests may not actually be accurate enough.

The rapid lateral flow tests set to be used in the scheme are so unproven they come with a manufacturer’s warning: “Negative results do not rule out infection”.

Epidemiologists have now told The Independent they fear thousands of people could receive the all-clear as part of the pilot when they are in fact positive, undermining the entire system.