'Unquestionably difficult months to come': Boris Johnson warns of further restrictions if public flout new Covid rules in televised address

(Independent)

Boris Johnson has warned there are “unquestionably difficult months to come” in the UK’s fight against coronavirus, warning that tougher restrictions will follow if the public fails to follow the new restrictions.

In his third address to the nation since the outbreak of the pandemic, the prime minister said he was “spiritually reluctant” to introduce new rules, but said that unless action is taken now tougher measures will follow when deaths have mounted.

Earlier, in a Commons statement, Mr Johnson outlined new restrictions to tackle surging cases of the virus, including the introduction of 10pm curfews for pubs, restaurants and other entertainment venues, and new restrictions on weddings.

In his comments on Tuesday evening, he said a new national lockdown would threaten jobs and livelihoods across the UK, but warned: “If people don’t follow the rules we have set out, then we must reserve the right to go further.”

Mr Johnson added: “Never in our history has our collective destiny and our collective health depended so completely on our individual behaviour. If we follow these simple rules together, we will get though this winter together. There are unquestionably difficult months to come.”