Employees have been asked to work from home and people have been urged to take more tests amid concerns across the UK that the coronavirus crisis could disrupt Christmas celebrations.
People in England have been advised to take a test before visiting crowded indoor spaces – which could include busy shops or Christmas parties.
And in Northern Ireland people are being urged by Stormont ministers to work from home where possible in a bid to curb cases.
It comes amid a spike of cases across Europe and concerns that the crisis could engulf Christmas celebrations for a second year running.
On Monday Boris Johnson said the Government sees no need to introduce fresh Covid-19 restrictions in England despite rising cases across much of Europe.
Yet the recommendation on lateral flow testing for people without symptoms changed to encourage more people to take a test before entering crowded indoor spaces.
Previously the public was advised to use lateral flow tests twice-weekly.
People are also advised to take a test before visiting a person who is at higher risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19 and get a PCR test if they have symptoms.
