[ad_1]
epa08688061 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street to make a statement in the House of Commons in London, Great Britain, on September 22, 2020. Due to the increase in coronavirus cases, all pubs, bars, Restaurants and other hospitality venues in England must have a 10 p.m. cut-off time from September 24, 2020. The Prime Minister will establish new restrictions and anti-coronavirus measures in the House of Commons on September 22, 2020. EPA-EFE / NEIL HALL
LONDON, Sept. 22 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday told people to work from home whenever possible and ordered bars and restaurants to close earlier in a bid to tackle a second wave of COVID. -19 spreading rapidly.
After government scientists warned that the death rate would skyrocket without urgent action, Johnson said the new restrictions in England could last six months, though it failed to impose another total lockdown.
“I regret to say that, as in Spain, France and many other countries, we have reached a dangerous tipping point,” Johnson told parliament after emergency meetings with ministers and leaders of UK delegated governments.
Just weeks after urging people to start returning to their workplaces, Johnson advised office workers to stay home if they could.
He ordered all pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues to close at 10pm starting Thursday and only table service is allowed.
Face masks will be required in more settings, companies that break the rules will be fined, and there will be stricter enforcement against people who don’t comply, he said.
However, schools and universities will remain open. He will give a televised address to the nation at 1900 GMT.
Government advisers have said the number of new cases could reach 50,000 a day by mid-October.
Johnson warned that more restrictions could be introduced if the new measures don’t work.
“We will not listen to those who say to let the virus rip apart, or to those who urge a permanent shutdown,” he said. “We are taking decisive and appropriate action to balance saving lives and protecting jobs and livelihoods.”
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton, Elizabeth Piper, David Milliken, Andy Bruce, Estelle Shirbon, Sarah Young, and Michael Holden; Edited by Clarence Fernandez, Andrew Cawthorne, and Stephen Addison)