Coronavirus: National lockdown announced until December 2
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has this evening confirmed that a new four-week national lockdown will start this Thursday.
The new lockdown will end on December 2 and will require pubs, bars, restaurants (but not takeaways and deliveries), non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues to close.
Unlike the first lockdown in March, schools, colleges and universities will stay open, and on this Mr Johnson said: "We can't let this virus damage our children's futures more than it already has."
Support bubbles will still be allowed and children will be able to move homes if their parents are separated.
People can only leave home for eduction or work - if they can't work from home - for medical reasons, to shop for food and essentials, for exercise and recreation outside or to care for vulnerable people or to volunteer.
Anyone who is clinically vulnerable or over the age of 60, said Mr Johnson, should follow the rules or 'minimise their contact with others."
He added that the government will not ask people to shield again "in the same way" as last time.
The lockdown has been brought in to stop the further rise of Covid-19, which in recent weeks has been soaring in many regions, to levels that would overwhelm the NHS.
Prof Chris Whitty, the Government's chief medical officer had said: "If we do nothing, the inevitable result will be that these numbers will go up and they will eventually exceed the peak we saw in spring of this year."
After the lockdown ends, said Mr Johnson, the Government will returned to the tiered system of localised restrictions.
Parliament will vote on the measures announced today on Wednesday.
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