BOOZED-UP Brits hit the town and made the most of late-night drinks last night after the 10pm pub curfew was announced.
Revellers in Leeds appeared to forget about the Prime Minister's plea to stick to social distancing as they queued up to get into bars and clubs.
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Students who have newly arrived in the city were dressed up and making the most of the night out - before more severe restrictions come in tomorrow.
It comes after the PM warned "your cough could be someone else's death knell" as he asked the country to pull together to defeat the virus in an address to the nation last night.
The PM's new measures mean all restaurants and pubs will have to close at 10pm, face masks will have to be worn in more places, with heftier fines, and office workers have been told to get back to working from home.
But University College London Professor Robert West, a member of Sage, said: "Closing early will have some impact but I don't think it will be anything like enough, even with the other measures announced, to stop the increase.
According to Professor West, evidence from previous changes to licensing hours causes a "drinking equilibrium".
The PM urged Brits to show "discipline, resolve, and the spirit of togetherness" to get Britain through the "difficult" winter months to come - or face a new national lockdown.
In a live TV address - only the third time he has spoken to the nation in a recorded broadcast during the pandemic - he reassured the public that there "are great days ahead" once the fight against covid is over.
However, for the first time he entertained the possibility of a "tougher" new national lockdown and what it would mean for the country, just weeks after he lifted restrictions.
Mr Johnson warned the nation that he would have no choice but to impose “significantly greater restrictions” later this year if the new measures fail to bring the ‘R’ value of the virus below 1.
It comes just over two months after restaurants and pubs started to reopen from July 4 for dine-in customers.
Mr Johnson said: "I am sorry this will affect businesses who have just got back up on their feet.
"But we must act to stop the virus being transmitted in restaurants and bars."
Despite just last week declaring his aim to save the family Christmas, the PM warned the clampdown will last at least six months.
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It came just hours before Scots leader Nicola Sturgeon announced a complete ban on household mixing north of the border - saying Mr Johnson's rules didn't go far enough.
Yesterday saw another 37 people reported to have died from the virus as cases rise to the highest level since May 7, which saw 5,614 new infections.
It is the highest number of deaths since July 14, when 44 were logged.
Read more on the Scottish Sun