A bus passes a sign displaying government-imposed measures against the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the first day of a newly imposed blockade in London, UK, on November 5, 2020.
John Sibley | Reuters
LONDON – The UK government on Wednesday unveiled plans to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions on millions of people across England as a new strain of the virus spreads across the country.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock says more regions will be placed in the toughest level 4 category at 00:01 on Thursday in London.
“This new variant is now spreading in most of England and cases are rapidly doubling,” Hancock told the House of Commons. “It is therefore necessary to apply the Level 4 measures in a wider area, including the remaining parts of the south-east, as well as large parts of the middle, north-west, north-east and south-west.”
The move will mean that three-quarters of the population will be in level 4 for the New Year, Hancock said.
Restrictions, which include a “stay at home” order, mean that people should not leave their homes unless they have a reasonable excuse. Businesses, including non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers need to close.
The announcement comes shortly after the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was approved for emergency use in the UK. It is believed that the vaccine will allow the United Kingdom to significantly intensify its inoculation program.
We need, of course, to vaccinate as soon as possible after the necessary safety checks, and the NHS is ready to accelerate the deployment on Monday, January 4th, Hancock said.
He added: “We have a total of 100 million custom-made doses, which combined with the Pfizer vaccine are enough to vaccinate every adult in the UK with both doses.”
Everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one, Hancock said, adding that the UK will have 530,000 doses available starting Monday, with millions more from Astra-Zeneca in early February.
Government data show that infection rates have risen sharply across England over the past week, with significant pressure on hospitals.
On Tuesday, 53,135 new Covid cases were registered in the UK, the largest increase in a single day since mass trials began.
The new variant of coronavirus found in the UK is more transmissible and has led to travel restrictions for people wishing to leave the country. The new strain, called SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 in the scientific community, could be up to 70% more transmissible, said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
U.S. health officials confirmed the first case of the new strain on Wednesday. Several other countries have identified the strain variant in recent weeks.