>> London is to go into Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions from midnight on Friday evening, barring the capital’s 9 million residents from meeting other households in their homes or other indoor spaces. >> The escalation in controls over social and economic life is to be formally announced by health secretary Matt Hancock in a statement to the House of Commons at around 11.30am, when he is also expected to confirm that ministers have backed away from imposing tighter restrictions for Greater Manchester and Lancashire in the face of resistance from local leaders.