UK coronavirus: alert level to be raised from 3 to 4; Northern Ireland bans mixing indoors

Matt Hancock announces childcare exemption to local lockdowns in England; UK cases rise by 4,368, second highest daily total since early May

• Raising of UK Covid alert level opens door to major restrictions
• Lockdowns in four more areas of Wales as cases rise
• Whitty: UK could see 200 deaths a day by November
• Scottish ministers considering strict new Covid rules, leak reveals
• Global coronavirus updates - live

6.15pm BST

4 UK CMOs - inc @DrGregorSmith - agree raising of #Covid_19 alert level to 4. I'll participate in COBR meeting tomorrow am, after which @scotgov Cabinet will agree measures to bring virus back under control in Scotland. I'll then offer statement to @ScotParl tomorrow pm.

It has been gatherings in domestic properties where most #Covid19 transmission has taken place.

The Executive met today and agreed to extend the restriction on mixing of households to all parts of NI from 6pm tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/uaecusAQyh

Related: Coronavirus live news: Iran sees highest daily cases since June; US approaches 200,000 Covid deaths

5.47pm BST

The news that all people in Northern Ireland are to be banned from visiting each other's homes will bring to 15.4m the number of people under some level of restriction in the UK from tomorrow.

The announcement, which follows on from that from Wales that four new areas are to be brought under local lockdown means that 23.1% of the UK population will be under curbs.