Scotland announced on Monday that it will implement a new closure of the coronavirus as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces his own “further steps” to combat the spread of the disease.
The measures in Scotland, which start on Tuesday and are in force until at least the end of this month, ask residents to only travel outside their homes for essential purposes and limit the size of outdoor gatherings to two people from different households, not children included . Schools also remain closed for personal learning for most students.
“It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we are facing now than I have ever been since March last year,” said Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is watching as nurse Jennifer Dumasi injects the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine during a visit to view the vaccination program at Chase Farm Hospital in north London on Monday. (AP)
British Prime Minister BORIS JOHNSON WARNS ‘CORONAVIRUS’ TOUGHER ‘MEASURES TO BE FOUND AS CASES WITH NEW VARIANT
“It is imperative that we further restrict the interaction between different households to stem the spread and bring the situation back under control while vaccinating more people,” she added.
Scotland, which has its own government, has regularly imposed stricter coronavirus restrictions than those in England throughout the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Johnson will give a first speech to England in which he will set out ‘further steps’ to halt the spread of COVID-19, his office says.
“The proliferation of the new variant of COVID-19 has led to rapidly rising case numbers across the country,” a Johnson spokesman told Sky News. “The Prime Minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and protect the National Health Service and save lives.”
Johnson said earlier Monday that there was no doubt we would have to take stricter measures.
The UK has so far recorded 2.65 million coronavirus infections, of which 54,990 were newly reported on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics.
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The United Kingdom also became the first country in the world to start administering AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine on Monday, following emergency clearance last week.
According to a statement from NHS England, 82-year-old dialysis patient Brian Pinker received the first vaccine at Oxford University Hospital. Pinker said the vaccination brought peace of mind as he looked forward to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary with his wife Shirley in February.
Foxla’s Kayla Rivas contributed to this report.