Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.

1. Row over Covid rules 'damaging public health'

With ministers at loggerheads with regional leaders over England's three-tier system of Covid restrictions, a senior scientific adviser is warning the stand-off is "very damaging to public health". Talks over moving Greater Manchester and Lancashire to the toughest tier of rules are due to resume later. And Wellcome Trust director Prof Jeremy Farrar argues countries that have best controlled the virus so far have had a "national consensus about the way forward".

2. New rules apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland

New rules have come into effect in Scotland extending the mandatory wearing of face coverings in workplace settings such as canteens. Other areas such as corridors and other communal facilities will be included in a further extension from Monday. Northern Ireland's pubs, restaurants, hair and beauty salons close their doors for four weeks from Friday evening, and hotels have been told they are eligible for financial help available to those businesses told to shut.

3. Ban to begin on visiting Wales from Covid hotspots

A ban on travelling to Wales from coronavirus hotspots elsewhere in the UK comes into effect from 18:00 BST. It will cover all of Northern Ireland, England's Tier 2 and 3 areas and the Scottish central belt, all of which are subject to heightened restrictions.

4. Police break up 100-guest wedding reception

Police have broken up a wedding reception where more than 100 guests congregated in breach of restrictions limiting numbers to 15. The event at the Tudor Rose in Southall, west London, on Tuesday evening was described as a "flagrant and arrogant violation of the law".

5. It 'means so much' to be getting back on stage

It's been a long time since most of us have even considered a trip to the theatre. But actor Brian Conley is preparing to get back on stage - albeit in front of a reduced audience at central London's Dominion Theatre - as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He's finding the prospect emotional and says the entertainment business is vital: "It's so important to have escapism and feel a little bit normal and walk out with a smile on your face and a thought that everything is going to get better."