Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the United Kingdom will enter a month long lockdown from Thursday, as we enter a critical stage in the fight against COVID-19.
“Now is the time to take action because there is no alternative,” the PM said.
Boris Johnson also said that from Thursday people in England “must stay at home”.
The rate of coronavirus infections has been increasing across the country, Professor Chris Whitty has said.
Cases in over-60s are also “going up across the country”, he said, which means more people will need NHS care.
The whole of England will be plunged into a new Tier 4. Under these measures:
- All pubs and restaurants will close (Except for takeaways)
- Non-essential retail will close – though supermarkets won’t have to cordon off any areas
- No mixing of households inside homes
- Schools and universities will remain open
- Construction, parliament and courts will remain open
- Work from home if you can
- Gyms will be shut but people can continue to exercise for unlimited periods outdoors, either with people from their own households or on a one-to-one basis with one person from another household.
- People will be able to travel internationally for work, but won’t be allowed to go abroad for holidays.
- Premier League football and other elite sports will be allowed to continue, due to the testing regimes in place for professional sportspeople, but amateur sports will be put on hold.
The Government has confirmed that the furlough scheme will be extended until December.
The new measures will last until 2 December.
