Coronavirus news – live: Hancock rules out ditching support bubbles and tells shops to ban non-mask wearers

Rishi Sunak has warned the UK economy will “get worse before it gets better” as businesses and households endure the latest lockdown measures to try to bring the coronavirus pandemic back under control.

“Even with the significant economic support we’ve provided, over 800,000 people have lost their job since February,” the chancellor told the House of Commons on Monday.

Thousands of British holidaymakers currently in Dubai and the other emirates of the UAE will have to self-isolate on return.

The Gulf state has been removed from the "travel corridors” list that gives exemption from quarantine to arrivals in the UK.

It follows what government sources call "a significant acceleration" in coronavirus cases imported to the UK from Dubai, travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.

The furore over an attempt to fine two women £200 after they travelled to a Derbyshire reservoir for a walk has renewed scrutiny of the UK’s coronavirus laws.

Officers were forced to withdraw the penalties after a public backlash, and a “clarification” that the women had not broken the law.

But there is still no formal process to challenge a fine other than refusing to pay and risking prosecution, Lizzie Dearden reports.

Sainsbury's has confirmed it will post trained security guards at shop entrances to "challenge" any customers not wearing a mask.

Chief executive Simon Roberts said: "I've spent a lot of time in our stores reviewing the latest situation over the last few days and on behalf of all my colleagues, I am asking our customers to help us keep everyone safe.

"The vast majority of customers are shopping safely, but I have also seen some customers trying to shop without a mask and shopping in larger family groups.

"Please help us to keep all our colleagues and customers safe by always wearing a mask and by shopping alone. Everyone's care and consideration matters now more than ever."

Derbyshire police have withdrawn the fines issued to two women who drove five miles to go for a walk at a reservoir in Derbyshire.

The case became a battleground over the enforcement of Covid regulations as ministers defended officers attempts to stop people travelling out of their area to exercise.

However that was before Boris Johnson was spotted driving seven miles to go for a cycle ride….

Human rights barrister Adam Wagner, who has become a popular guide to lockdown laws, described it as a “waste of 24 hours of vital public messaging”.

Here’s our original story from the weekend:

Hundreds of homeless people housed during the first Covid-19 wave were pushed back on to the street because of a lack of support, research shows.

Read more from The Independent’s Social Affairs Correspondent May Bulman: 

In December 2019, the voters were asked to choose, in an election, between the two worst options – Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn – that have ever been put before them. 

A year on, it is very hard to imagine how things could possibly have been any worse with Corbyn in charge, but had he presided over the neverending list of stunning failures that Johnson has managed, the scale of the national rage is almost anxiety-inducing to imagine, writes The Independent’s columnist Tom Peck:

Former chief whip Mark Harper, chairman of the Tory backbench Covid Recovery Group, said restrictions should not remain in place for "a second longer" once the vaccine has protected priority groups.

Around 15 million people are expected to be vaccinated by mid-February, covering care home residents, the over-70s, clinically extremely vulnerable people and frontline health and care staff.

Those groups accounted for 88% of fatalities in the first wave and the Government is in a race against time to protect them with a first dose of vaccine.

Mr Harper suggested that once they had received their jab - and it has been given time to become effective - there should be no excuse for keeping England's national lockdown in place.

More than 2.3 million people have so far received a jab and Mr Harper said achieving the mid-February goal must remain the "central, overriding focus" for ministers.

He said that "like the disease, lockdowns and restrictions cause immense harm".

"So for today's progress to really mean something to the millions of people across the country who are doing the right thing and obeying the law, the Government must urgently set out exactly how today's progress begins to translate into a return to normal life for us all and show a clear exit strategy - a route back to freedom."

The coronavirus outbreak at the Kinnerton Confectionery site in Fakenham has hit production in a “limited” way, with some operations transferred to sister factories.

Read the full story by Adam Forrest: 

Boris Johnson has insisted it was "essential" he travelled more than 100 miles during lockdown to promote new mass vaccination centres.

Read the report by Peter Stubley: