A bus drives past a sign with the measures taken by the government against the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the first day of a newly introduced lock in London, Britain, 5 November 2020.
John Sibley | Reuters
LONDON – The British government on Wednesday outlined plans to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions on millions of people in England as a new type of virus spreads across the country.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more regions would be placed in the toughest Tier 4 category from 00:01 London time on Thursday.
“This new variant is now spreading across most of England and business is doubling rapidly,” Hancock told the House of Commons. “It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 4 measures to a wider area, including the remaining parts of the south-east, as well as large parts of the midlands, the north-west, the north-east and the south-west.”
The move would mean three-quarters of the population would be at level 4 for the new year, Hancock said.
The restrictions, which include a “stay at home” order, mean that people should not leave their homes unless they have a reasonable excuse. Businesses, including non-essential stores, gyms and hairdressers, should close.
The announcement comes shortly after the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was approved for emergency use in the UK. It is suspected that the vaccine will enable the UK to significantly increase its vaccination program.
“Obviously, we need to vaccinate as quickly as the supply allows for the necessary security checks, and the NHS is ready to accelerate implementation on a large scale from Monday, January 4,” Hancock said.
He added: ‘We have a total of 100 million doses to order, which combined with the Pfizer vaccine is enough to vaccinate every adult in the UK, with both doses.’
Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get it, Hancock said, adding that the UK will have 530,000 doses available from Monday, with millions more due to Astra-Zeneca in early February.
Government data show that infection rates have risen sharply in England over the past week, with significant pressure on hospitals.
On Tuesday, 53,135 new Covid cases were recorded in the UK, the highest one-day increase since mass testing began.
The new coronavirus variant found in the UK is apparently more transmissible and has led to travel restrictions for people wishing to leave the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new strain, called SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01, could be as much as 70% more transmissible in the science community.
U.S. health officials on Wednesday confirmed the first case of the new strain. Several other countries have also identified the variant strain in recent weeks.