PRIME Minister Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference this afternoon.

He will appear alongside England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance at 5pm, No 10 said.

The conference, which is scheduled to begin at 5pm, is expected to look at the current vaccination landscape in the country, as fears rise over a new Brazilian variant of covid-19.

It is not thought that the Primer Minister will impose any stricter rules on the country in today’s announcement.

It comes as the reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus transmission drpped across the UK to 1.2 and 1.3, according to the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said.

Last week, it was between 1 and 1.4.

An R number between 1.2 and 1.3 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 13 other people.

Experts advising the Government said the ranges for the growth rates and R number have narrowed for the UK, England and most regions, which reflects greater certainty around the estimates.

They said the estimates are based on the latest data, available up to January 11.

Sage said: “The latest figures show that we need to remain vigilant to keep this virus under control, to protect the NHS and save lives.

“We all need to play our part, and if everyone continues to follow the rules, we can expect to drive down the R number across the country.”