But last night, Prime Minister Boris Jonson said that the best approach for the whole of the UK is "a national lockdown that is tough enough to contain this variant."
Our photographer DAN MARTINO went along to Blackpool town centre to see what difference the announcement had made.
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The clinically extremely vulnerable should recommence shielding. Johnson said these people will soon receive a letter with more information
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Primary schools, secondary schools and colleges must move to remote learning from tomorrow (5 Jan), apart from children of key workers. Nurseries and early years childcare facilities will still open as normal
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Due to disruption in schools, the Prime Minister conceded that it was "not fair" for exams to go ahead as normal in summer. He said alternative arrangements will be made for students affected
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Those entitled to free school meals will still receive them during lockdown, and more tech devices will be given to children who need them, in order to support remote education
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Pre-empting criticism about even allowing schools to reopen after the Christmas holidays, the Prime Minister said: "We have been doing everything within our power to keep education open
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"The problem is not that schools are unsafe for children."