A bus drives past a sign with the measures imposed by the government against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak on the first day of a newly imposed lockdown, in London, UK, on November 5, 2020.
John Sibley | Reuters
LONDON – The UK government on Wednesday outlined plans to impose tougher coronavirus restrictions on millions of people across England as a new strain of the virus spreads across the country.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more regions will be placed in the toughest Category 4 from 12:01 a.m. London time on Thursday.
“This new variant is now spreading across most of England and the cases are rapidly doubling,” Hancock told the House of Commons. “It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 4 measures to a wider area, including the remaining parts of the southeast, as well as large parts of the interior, the northwest, the northeast and the southwest.”
The move means that three-quarters of the population will be in Level 4 by the New Year, Hancock said.
The restrictions, including an order to stay at home, mean that people cannot leave their homes unless they have a reasonable excuse. Businesses, including non-essential stores, gyms, and hairdressers, must close.
The announcement comes shortly after the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was approved for emergency use in the UK. The vaccine is believed to allow the UK to significantly step up its vaccination program.
“Of course, we need to vaccinate as soon as stocks allow, after the necessary security checks, and the NHS is ready to accelerate implementation at scale from Monday, January 4,” said Hancock.
He added, “We have a total of 100 million doses on order, which in combination with the Pfizer vaccine is enough to vaccinate every adult in the UK with both doses.”
Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one, Hancock said, adding that the UK will have 530,000 doses available from Monday, and millions more will come from Astra-Zeneca by early February.
Government data shows infection rates across England have soared over the past week, with the pressure on hospitals increasing significantly.
On Tuesday, 53,135 new Covid cases were registered in the UK, representing the highest one-day increase since the mass testing began.
The new coronavirus variant found in the UK is said to be more transmissible and has resulted in travel restrictions for people wishing to leave the country. The new species, dubbed SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 in the scientific community, could be as much as 70% more transmittable, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
US health officials confirmed the first case of the new species on Wednesday. Several other countries have also identified the strain of the strain in recent weeks.