BORIS Johnson is to hold a press briefing this afternoon when he addresses the nation at 5pm.

The Prime Minister’s briefing comes as the country continues to record high numbers of cases and record death tolls.

It is expected that Mr Johnson will urge members of the public to stay at home and reduce the strain on the NHS.

It’s also anticipated that the Prime Minister will praise the rollout of the vaccination, with two million more citizens vaccinated in the past week.

His speech will come a day after home secretary Priti Patel unveiled stricter fines for those breaking lockdown rules, with £800 fines issued to those in England who attend house parties.

What time is Boris Johnson speaking? 

The prime minister is scheduled to address the public and the press at 5pm.

Where can I watch his press briefing? 

Boris Johnson's briefing will be available to watch live on BBC News.

You can watch online through BBC iPlayer here, while Sky News has a live YouTube stream here.

What did Priti Patel say at yesterday’s briefing?

On Thursday the Home Minister announced that fines of £800 will be slapped on people caught at house parties as part of tougher measures to crack down on illegal gatherings during the pandemic.

The penalty, coming into force next week, will apply for groups of over 15 people and will double after each offence up to a maximum of £6,400 for repeat offenders, the Home Secretary said.

The fines currently stand at £200. The £10,000 penalties for unlawful groups of more than 30 people will still only apply to the organiser.

Announcing the decision at Thursday’s Downing Street press conference, Priti Patel said: “The science is clear: such irresponsible behaviour poses a significant threat to public health.

“Not only to those in attendance but to our wonderful police officers who attend these events to shut them down.

“As this latest measure demonstrates, we will not stand by while a small number of individuals put others at risk.”