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ENGLAND WILL FACE staggered coronavirus restrictions until the end of March, even though the latest successful vaccine trials and rapid tests present a “route out of the pandemic.”
With the lockdown ending on December 2, more parts of England are expected to move to higher levels than they were before the national restrictions were imposed.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said the new levels would be more difficult than their predecessors, after the government’s scientific advisers said the previous regime did not do enough to combat the virus.
The announcement of the new measures came when the Oxford-AstraZeneca team announced that their vaccine had shown an efficacy of 70%.
Appearing via video link from the Downing Street coronavirus self-isolation, Johnson told MPs that the three-tiered approach had been reinforced.
Under the new system:
– At Level 2, alcohol can only be served in hospitality settings as part of a substantial meal.
– On Level 3, pubs and restaurants will only be able to offer takeout and delivery services, while indoor entertainment, hotels and other accommodations will close.
The curfew at 10 p.m. will be relaxed, with the last orders now closed at that time and the facilities closing at 11 p.m.
Establishing other measures that will be relaxed as the closure is lifted, Johnson said: “Beginning next Wednesday, people will be able to leave their home for any purpose and meet others in public outdoor spaces, subject to the rule of six, corporate worship, weddings and outdoor sports can be resumed, and shops, personal care, gyms, and the general entertainment industry can be reopened.
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“But without the proper precautions, we would risk the virus turning into a winter or New Year’s surge.”
Details of which areas will be at what levels will be set on Thursday, Johnson said.
“I’m sorry to say that we expect more regions to fall, at least temporarily, to higher levels than before,” he warned.
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