A bus drives past a sign showing the government’s measures against coronavirus infection (COVID-19), on the first day of a newly installed lock-in, in London, Britain, November 5, 2020.
John Sibley | Reuters
LONDON – The UK government on Wednesday outlined plans to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions on millions of people across England as a new snort of the virus spreads across the country.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more divisions would be assigned to the strongest Tier 4 region from 00:01 London time on Thursday.
“This new variation is now spreading across most of England and is rapidly doubling,” Hancock told the House of Commons. “So Stage 4 measures need to be put in place. the wider region, including the remaining parts of the southeast, as well as large parts of the midlands, northwest, northeast and southwest. “
The move will put three-quarters of the population in Stage 4 for the New Year, Hancock said.
The restrictions, which include a “stay at home” order, mean that people cannot leave their homes unless they have a reasonable excuse. Businesses including unnecessary shops, gyms and hairdressers have to close.
This news comes shortly after the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was approved for emergency use in the UK. The vaccine is thought to have allowed the UK to dramatically ramp up its inclusion program.
“We need vaccinations as soon as supply allows after the necessary safety checks, of course, and the NHS stands ready to accelerate use at scale from Monday, January 4,” Hancock said.
He said: “We have a total of 100 million doses on prescription, which together with the Pfizer vaccine is 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 from Monday, with millions more to be paid from Astra-Zeneca at the beginning of February .
Government data show that disease rates have risen sharply across England in the past week, with a lot of pressure on hospitals.
On Tuesday, 53,135 new Covid cases were registered in the UK, representing the highest one-day increase since major trials began.
On Wednesday, the latest government figures showed that 981 people in the UK died within 28 days of a Covid positive test – the highest number of deaths recorded since April 9. The UK reported 414 deaths in within 28 days of the COVID-19 advanced test on Tuesday.
The new version of coronavirus found in the UK has reportedly been easier to administer and has restricted travel for people wishing to leave the country. The new strain, called SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 in the science community, could be as much as 70% more portable, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.
U.S. health officials confirmed the first case of the new strain Wednesday. Several other countries have also recognized the changing gender in the last few weeks.