Following from the PM’s address this evening the UK must now go into full lockdown.
Boris Johnson has announced a new national lockdown for England, with people instructed to “stay at home” as they did during March’s first lockdown.
The prime minister revealed the action in an eight-minute TV address on Monday night, 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 being asked to follow the new rules, which replace the tiers system, from this evening.
It is expected the new lockdown in England – the third time a national shutdown has been introduced – will last until the middle of February.
People across the whole country must now stay at home apart from five 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 or medical care, or to flee the threat of harm or violence.
All primary schools, secondary schools and colleges will move to online learning from tomorrow.
However, nurseries can remain open while childcare and support bubbles will stay in place.
The prime minister adds that given the alarming figures, it had become “clear that we need to do more” to bring the new fast-spreading coronavirus variant “under control” and help the vaccination roll-out in the UK.
He says we must therefore go into a national lockdown, with the government once more telling people to stay at home, except for specific reasons, including essential shopping, to work, if you cannot work from home, to exercise, to seek medical help, to escape domestic abuse.
He says the government will be advising clinical extremely people to begin shielding again.
Primary and secondary schools must move to remote learning from tomorrow, except for vulnerable children and those of key workers, he adds.