ALMOST 900 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Berkshire in the past 24 hours, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce further emergency measures this evening.

The PM is to make a televised address setting out new emergency measures to control the spread of coronavirus in England, Downing Street has said.

It comes as 893 positive Covid-19 cases have been reported by Public Health England in Berkshire in the past day.

These lab-confirmed cases are from areas including Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, West Berkshire, Slough and Windsor and Maidenhead.

These figures, correct as Monday, January 4, bring the county's lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 tests total to 31,712, according to Public Health England.

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The local breakdown for the past 24 hours as follows:

  • Bracknell - 138 cases, 4,151 total
  • Wokingham - 114 cases, 4,947 total
  • West Berkshire - 109 cases, 3,683 total
  • Slough - 266 cases, 8,137 total
  • Windsor and Maidenhead - 156 cases, 5,088 total
  • Reading - 110 cases, 5,706 total

The latest seven-day rate per 100,000 people locally are as follows:

  • Bracknell - 780.1
  • Wokingham - 547
  • West Berkshire - 377.4
  • Slough - 1001.1
  • Windsor and Maidenhead - 663.7
  • Reading - 548.9

There have now been 2, 713,563 cases of Covid-19 across the UK – as of Monday, January 4, at 4pm. This was an increase of 58, 784 cases in the past 24 hours.

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In the national news today:

Boris Johnson is to make a televised address setting out new emergency measures to control the spread of coronavirus in England, Downing Street has said.

A No 10 spokesman said that the move was in response to the "rapidly escalating" numbers of infections following the emergence of the new variant.

The statement, to be made at 8pm, will be followed by the recall of Parliament on Wednesday so MPs can debate the measures.

A No 10 spokesman said: "The spread of the new variant of Covid-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.

"The Prime Minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives."

The move comes as Nicola Sturgeon announced Scotland will go into lockdown for the rest of January with a legal requirement to stay at home and schools closed to most pupils until February.

Setting out the measures to come into force from Tuesday, the First Minister told MSPs in Holyrood: "It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year."

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The latest data show a 41per cent rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in hospital in England between Christmas Day and January 3, figures which have caused alarm in Whitehall and the health service.

While ministers hailed the rollout of the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Mr Johnson warned the nation needed to prepare for some "tough" weeks ahead as the jab was extended to the most vulnerable.

Ministers had hoped the Oxford vaccine - which is easier to distribute than the other approved jab from Pfizer/BioNTech - could provide a route out of further lockdowns, but it could be months before sufficient numbers have received their first shot.

Today (Monday, January 4), retired maintenance manager Brian Pinker, 82, became the first person to receive the jab outside clinical trials.

Ministers have said the NHS has the capacity to deliver two million doses a week of the Oxford vaccine but supplies are limited.