COVID-19: UK imposes toughest lockdown since March as new variant wreaks havoc

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on January 4 anunced toughest national lockdown since March, as hospitalisations from new coronavirus variant across UK surged. Johnson asked people to stay at home saying, that “hospitals are w under more pressure than y have been at any or point throughout pandemic.” national lockdown was imposed across entire England for four weeks, until mid-February, as new variant was spreing in a “frustrating and alarming” manner, with record 26,626 hospitalisations as of January 4, which was a 30 per cent spike within a week, and surpassed March-April rate of hospital missions by 40 per cent. 

In an official release, UK Prime Minister instructed citizens to remain confined at home and ordered all primary schools, secondary schools, and colleges to move to remote learning. Furrmore, he vised clinically extremely vulnerable population to begin shielding again, ding that UK government would dispatch letters with an visory about quarantine. “All n-essential retail, hospitality, and personal care services must close, or remain closed,” government anunced. Restaurants were allowed to operate partially for delivery, takeaway, or -and-collect of food and n-alcoholic drinks, meanwhile, all hospitality venues were asked to halt takeaway or -and-collect alcohol with immediate effect.

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Only essential shops such as a pharmacy were allowed to open, all public, entertainment, and recreational venues were asked to shut down as per new rules. “Indoor and outdoor sports facilities including sports courts, gyms, golf courses, swimming pools, and riding arenas must close down,” Downing Street release informed. Movement only limited to essential shopping, exercise such as walk, COVID-19 testing, medical assistance, or escaping domestic abuse was permitted, legally. 

Hospitals to 'overwhelm' in 21 days

In a late-night televised dress, PM Johnson told citizens that UK Chief Medical Officers waned about COVID threat level shift from level four to level five, indicating that, “if action is t taken NHS capacity may be overwhelmed within 21 days.” Speaking to Brits, UK PM said, “ weeks ahe will be hardest yet but I really do believe that we’re entering last phase of struggle.” He ded that a massive ramp-up operation was underway to vaccinate 13 million in high-risk group by mid-February. Meanwhile, Scotland’s leer, Nicola Sturgeon, who also imposed a lockdown, told press conference in Edinburg, “I am more concerned about situation we face w than I have been at any time since March last year.” 

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