LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered England to tighten a new national blockade to contain an increase in COVID-19 cases that threaten to overwhelm parts of the health system before a vaccine program hits. critical mass.
The announcement came just hours after the government hailed Britain’s success in becoming the first country to start launching the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca against COVID-19.
Johnson said that a new, more contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in the UK and now present in many other countries is spreading at great 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 pandemic began,” Johnson said in a televised speech to the country.
“With most of the country already under extreme measures, it is clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control,” he said.
“We must therefore enter into a national blockade, which is difficult enough to contain this variant. This means that the government is once again instructing you to stay at home. “
Non-essential stores and hospitality would have to remain closed, while primary and secondary schools would close from Tuesday onwards for all students except vulnerable children and those whose parents are key workers.
Johnson said the interruption means that it will not be possible for all exams to take place this summer – the second academic year in a row that the pandemic has wreaked havoc on student education and future plans.
Johnson said that if the vaccine is implemented as planned and the number of deaths responds to the blockade measures as expected, it will be possible to begin to exit the blockade in mid-February.
However, he urged caution about the schedule and called on everyone to stick to the rules.
Britain’s economy suffered a historic crash of almost 20% in the period from April to June 2020, when several business areas were closed by the first blockade.
The new measures, which allow companies like construction companies to remain open, could cost around 10% of economic output while they last, said Julian Jessop, a researcher at the Institute of Economic Affairs.
NEW VACCINE LAUNCHED
While Britain faces the sixth highest number of deaths in the world and cases reach a new record, the country’s chief doctors say that the spread of COVID-19 puts at risk overwhelming parts of the health system in 21 days.
The increase in cases was driven by the new variant of COVID-19, officials say, and while recognizing that the pandemic is spreading faster than expected, they say there is also light at the end of the tunnel – vaccines.
The Johnson government previously announced a scientific “triumph” when Britain became the first country in the world to start inoculating people with injections of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.
Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, received his first vaccination outside a trial.
“I am delighted to receive the COVID vaccine today and very proud to be one that was invented in Oxford,” said the retired maintenance manager, just a few hundred meters from where the vaccine was developed.
But even with vaccines being launched, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to increase.
More than 75,000 people in the UK have died of COVID-19 in 28 days after a positive test since the pandemic began. A record 58,784 new coronavirus cases were reported on Monday.
Moving a few hours ahead of Johnson, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed the most stringent blockade on Scotland since last spring.
The delegated administration in Wales said that all schools and colleges there should move to online learning by 18 January.
Additional reporting by Estelle Shirbon, Alistair Smout and Guy Faulconbridge; Gareth Jones edition