Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Downing Street on Monday evening to deliver a televised address to the nation. A new, mutant variant of the virus has been rampantly spreading across the country, bringing with it higher rates of infection across all parts of the country. Announcing the new lockdown, Mr Johnson said hospital admissions are as high now as they were during the peak of the outbreak in April, while deaths had also been increasing in recent weeks.
Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said: “I want to say to everyone right across the UK that I know how tough this is.
“And I know how frustrated you are and I know that you have had more than enough of Government guidance about defeating this virus. But now, more than ever, we must pull together.”
The Prime Minister warned “the weeks ahead will be the hardest yet”, but “with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favour of the British people”.
He added: “Thanks to the miracle of science, not only is the end in sight but we know exactly how we will get there.”
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What time does the UK full lockdown start?
Mr Johnson announced the lockdown at 8pm in a live televised address to the country.
The Prime Minister said the new measures came into force straightaway, which means at this moment in time, the UK is already in a state of national lockdown.
This differs from previous announcements in which the Government has given a break-period between the new rules and them coming into force.
Although the new measures will start immediately, the Prime Minister said new laws reinforcing the restrictions will come into force within 24 hours.
