England enters new lockdown as COVID-19 variant unleashes

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered England to put in place a new national lockdown to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that threatens to overwhelm parts of the healthcare system before a immunization program reaches critical mass.

The announcement came just hours after the government hailed Britain’s success in becoming the first country to start rolling out the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca against COVID-19.

Johnson said a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the UK and now found in many other countries is spreading at high speed and immediate action is needed to slow it down.

“As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than at any time since the start of the pandemic,” Johnson said in a nationwide televised address.

“With most countries already under extreme measures, it is clear that we must do more together to bring this new variant under control,” he said.

“We must therefore enter a national lockout, hard enough to contain this variant. This means that the government is asking you again to stay at home.

Non-essential stores and hotels are expected to remain closed, while elementary and secondary schools would close from Tuesday for all students except vulnerable children and those whose parents are key workers.

Johnson said the disruption meant it wouldn’t be possible for all exams to take place this summer – the second consecutive academic year in which the pandemic has ravaged student education and future projects.

Johnson said if the vaccine rollout goes as planned and the death toll responds to lockdown measures as planned, it should be possible to start breaking out of the lockdown by mid-February.

However, he called for caution about the timing and called on everyone to abide by the rules.

The UK economy suffered a historic crash of almost 20% during the period April to June 2020, as swathes of activity were shut down by the first lockdown.

The new measures, which allow businesses such as construction companies to stay open, could cost around 10% of economic output as long as they last, said Julian Jessop, a member of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a thinking group.

NEW VACCINE LAUNCHED

As Britain grapples with the sixth-highest death toll in the world and cases reach a new high, the country’s chief medical officers have said the spread of COVID-19 risks crushing parts overwhelming health system within 21 days.

The increase in the number of cases has been driven by the new variant of COVID-19, officials say, and while they recognize the pandemic is spreading faster than expected, they say there is also light at the end of the tunnel – vaccinations.

Johnson’s government earlier touted a scientific “triumph” as Britain became the first country in the world to start vaccinating people with injections of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, received the first vaccination outside of a trial.

“I am so happy to receive the COVID vaccine today and really proud that it is the one that was invented in Oxford,” said the retired maintenance manager, a few hundred yards from where the vaccine has been developed.

But even with the deployment of vaccines, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to rise.

More than 75,000 people in the UK have died from COVID-19 within 28 days of testing positive since the start of the pandemic. A record 58,784 new coronavirus cases were reported on Monday.

With a few hours ahead of Johnson, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has imposed the toughest lockdown for Scotland since last spring.

Decentralized administration in Wales has said all schools and colleges should switch to e-learning until Jan. 18.