Rishi Sunak must do more to cushion economic fallout of Covid controls | Richard Partington

Christmas may be the focus but restrictions will probably be in place well beyond festive season

• Sunak urged to match new UK curbs with more support
• Retailers call for urgent aid in south and east of England

So this is Christmas. All across the country, hopes for a rapid end to the coronavirus pandemic have been painfully extinguished. For many, the festive season was already shaping up to be anything but. Now, at the last minute, tougher restrictions for much of south-east England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been put in place.

But while much of the focus will be on Christmas, the big problem for Britain is that these tougher controls will probably be kept in place for longer than anticipated, well beyond 25 December. Deeper lockdowns at the start of 2021 are all but certain. With a faster infection rate because of the mutant Covid-19 strain, a faster vaccination rate will also be needed before restrictions can be relaxed.

Related: London's shops and businesses in despair as new Covid curbs halt Christmas bonanza

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