New vaccine could cause complacency as England faces “crucial” two weeks

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Professor Susan Michie said it was imperative the public adhere to the current lockdown rules to give themselves a chance of  spending the Christmas period with family and loved ones. She also warned that recent positive news about a vaccine potentially being on the horizon could lead to some becoming complacent. "They're going to be a very challenging two weeks, partly because of the weather, partly because, I think, the promise of a vaccine may be making people feel complacent," said Prof Michie, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

Despite the vast majority of the country's population sticking to recently imposed lockdown measures, a string of reports have shown examples of breaches across the country. On Friday evening, Sussex Police confirmed they had shut down a gathering of around 50 people at a community centre in Brighton. Officers were called to Providence Place by a member of the public who had notified them of a potential breach of restrictions, with a section 34 dispersal order issued to those in attendance soon after.