UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson orders third nationwide lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on January 4 anunced a new national lockdown for England beginning at midnight. In a press conference, PM instructed people to "stay at home" and follow new rules immediately. He informed that all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning until middle of February. 

With surging virus cases and patient numbers across nation, Johnson said that those in top four priority groups would receive a first vaccine dose by mid-February. He also said that weeks ahe would be "hardest yet". However, he ded that he believed country was entering " last phase of struggle". 

recent lockdown is third nationwide in United Kingdom. w, people across UK must stay at home apart from five exceptions, including for work, to shop for necessities, to excessive once per day at a local location, to provide care to vulnerable people, or to attend medical appointments. Nurseries will remain open while childcare and support bubbles will stay in place. 

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UK records 50,000 new cases in a day 

Meanwhile, Scotland earlier h issued a stay-at-home order and joined Wales in closing classrooms for most pupils. According to BBC, rrn Ireland’s Stormont Executives are also meeting in a bid to discuss possible new measures. On Monday, UK recorded over 50,000 new cases for seventh day in a row. Nearly 58,700 cases and ditional 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were also reported. 

Meanwhile, re is a growing concern in UK about a second South African variant of COVID-19 infection, which is said to be even more highly transmissible, causing fears that it may even be resilient to vaccines w being rolled out. As per reports, variant's different 'receptor binding domain' might attack weak immune systems in patients with co-morbidity and cause severe infection, creating complications for vaccine’s immunization mechanism to work. 

(Im Credits: AP)

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