Some of the City’s biggest banks and investment houses have reiterated their “stay at home” message to employees in the run-up to the Christmas break, following bans on UK travellers entering more than 40 countries.

France, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands were among the first EU member states to impose a ban on travel from the UK, following reports over the weekend of a new strain of coronavirus — one that could be up to 70% more transmissible.