The British government has defended its new, stricter coronavirus measures against criticism that they did not got far enough, saying it was trying to balance supporting the economy while protecting health.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had told citizens to work from home if possible and ordered restaurants and bars to close early, in an effort to slow a fast-spreading second wave of Covid-19, saying restrictions would likely last six months, Reuters reported.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gave a round of interviews today — six months to the day since the government first imposed a national lockdown on March 23 — seeking to persuade the public to abide by the new rules to avoid a second lockdown.

"What we don't want is to have to take even more severe measures as we go through Christmas," Raab said on LBC radio. "And that's why we need to take the proportional, targeted measures we're taking now."