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The new and strict regulations, which will enter into force on Thursday, stipulate that people must stay at home, except in cases such as work, study or sport, and all shops except the essential ones will be closed.
Unlike the quarantine that lasted for several months earlier this year, UK schools, colleges and universities will continue to operate.
However, cafes, bars and restaurants will be closed and take-out will be allowed, and all leisure and entertainment venues and non-essential shops will be closed.
The restrictions are scheduled to run until December 2.
“Now is the time to act, because there is no other alternative,” Johnson told a Downing Street news conference after the cabinet meeting on the same day that approved the new action plan.
“We must remain humble before nature. Unfortunately, in our country, as in most of Europe, the virus is spreading even faster than anticipated in the worst case scenario prepared by our scientific advisers,” he added.
The British prime minister will present new measures to parliament on Monday, including an extension of the financial support program to help companies pay workers for one more month, until December.
Lawmakers will vote on these measures on Wednesday.
Tighter measures are being taken when the number of COVID-19 infections in the UK exceeds one million. About 22,000 new infections were registered in the country on Saturday and the number of hospitalized patients increased by 1,239, the largest daily increase since the end of April.
Government scientific advisers have warned that the prevalence of COVID-19 and the associated number of hospitalizations and deaths are growing faster than worst-case forecasts.
Meanwhile, England’s health director Chris Whitty said the hospital’s intensive care units and lung ventilation capacity could be depleted by early December if the current trend continues.
Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, noted that the death toll could be double that of the first wave of the pandemic.
Britain is already one of the worst affected countries in Europe, with a total death toll from COVID-19 approaching 47,000, with some 326 recent deaths reported.
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