Last night (Monday), Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England would be entering its third national lockdown with immediate effect.

As in Tier 4, the advice continues to be to 'stay at home': you must not leave, or be outside of your home, except where necessary.

You may leave the home to:

• Shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person, go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home.

• Exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

• Meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one.

• Seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse).

• Attend education or childcare - for those eligible.

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers.

All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings, such as nurseries, will remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid-February for all except future critical worker courses.

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local to the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise, or if it is essential. You should not attend work.

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.

You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Stay two metres apart from anyone not in your household.

Boris Johnson urged people to observe the lockdown, saying the weeks ahead "will be the hardest yet".

"But I really do believe we are entering the last phase of the struggle because with every jab that goes into our arms we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favour of the British people," he added.

"Thanks to the miracle of science, not only is the end in sight but we know exactly how we are going to get there."

Full details of the lockdown restrictions can be found on the gov.uk website.