England, Scotland under new national lockdown
Boris Johnson has announced a new national lockdown for England with people instructed to stay at home as they did during last March’s first lockdown.
In an eight-minute Tv address on Monday night, the prime minister revealed the national lockdown after being told that Covid-19 cases are rising rapidly in every part of the country due to the new coronavirus variant.
The public are instructed to follow the new rules which replace the tiers system from this evening.
It is expected the new lockdown in England – a third time a national lockdown had been introduced will last until 15th February at which point Mr. Johnson hopes the most vulnerable will have all been offered the first dose of vaccine.
People across the country must now stay at home apart from the exceptions:
- For work if people cannot work from home such as those in the construction sector or key workers.
- To shop for necessities such as food or medicines.
- To exercise once per day at a local location. This can include with one other person from outside someone’s household or support. Childcare bubble.
- To provide care or help to vulnerable people.
- To attend medical appointments get medical care or a coronavirus test or to flee the threat of harm or violence.
- All primary Schools, Secondary schools and colleges will move to online learning from tomorrow.
Schools remain closed for all pupils, apart from the children of key workers or those who are vulnerable until the February half-term.
Nurseries can remain open while childcare and support bubbles will stay in place.
Pubs, restaurants. Cafés will be able to continue takeaway or click and collect services, but the sale of takeaway alcohol will no longer will be allowed. Outdoor sports venues, such as golf courses and tennis courts must close and team sports will also not be permitted although elite sports such as Premier League football will continue.
Mr. Johnson said the new coronavirus variant judged to be between 50 per cent and 70 per cent more transmissible was spreading at a frustrating and alarming speed, which means the Prime Minister warned “ You are much, much more likely to catch the virus and pass it on. As I speak to night our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid that any time since the start of the pandemic. If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups we will have removed huge numbers of people from the path of the virus and will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long. It is call for national unity, now more than ever, must pull together. The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle”.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had earlier announced a nationwide lockdown in Scotland from midnight tonight until end of January.
Wales Government announced all schools and colleges will move to online learning until 18 January.