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London, December 15 (Photo: REUTERS / Toby Melville)
In some regions of the UK, as of December 20, a fourth level of quarantine will be introduced, in effect a lockdown. This was stated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a press conference, writes The Guardian.
The toughest restrictions will be in London and two counties in southeastern England – Essex and Kent, where a new strain of coronavirus recently discovered in Britain is spreading rapidly.
New restrictions include a ban on leaving home unnecessarily, if possible: remote work, store closings (except those that sell essentials), gyms, entertainment venues and beauty salons. It will also be prohibited to be on the street at night, and residents of different households will be able to meet only one by one and on the street. The fourth level quarantine regions will be closed for entry and exit.
The new rules will go into effect on December 20 and will be reviewed in ten days.
The rest of England, Scotland and Wales will reduce the quarantine relaxation; Instead of five days, it will only last one, on December 25. (In Christmas). In Wales and Scotland, as of December 20 and 26 respectively, the fourth level of quarantine will also be introduced. According to the BBC, the government of Northern Ireland intends to return the blockade after December 26.
Updated at 9:30 PM. According to Boris Johnson, the new strain may be 70% more infectious than the known one.
Previously, Boris Johnson promised the British «don’t cancel Christmas. “
On December 8, the UK began mass vaccination against coronavirus with vaccines produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. The first person in the world to receive the vaccine was Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old resident of Northern Ireland.
On December 14, the country’s Ministry of Health announced that they had discovered a new strain of coronavirus in 60 regions of the country.
«This does not mean that it is more infectious or dangerous. It just means that you need to be vigilant. Great efforts are now being made to clarify the characteristics of this strain and understand its threat. It is important to remain calm and be rational about the virus strain because this is a normal evolution, ”said Minister Matthew Hancock.
According to Johns Hopkins University, 2,010,069 cases of coronavirus were detected in the UK as of December 19, 67,177 patients died.
