Prime Minister Boris Johnson has addressed the nation this evening as a new, mutant strain of Covid-19 grips the country. The Prime Minister said hospital admissions in the country are at their highest currently than they have been since the peak of the pandemic in April 2020. As a result of increasing infection rates and deaths soaring once again, the Prime Minister has issued a ‘stay at home’ message to the country.
Speaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said the Government has been forced to change its policy on a number of areas.
The Prime Minister also addressed the vaccine situation, following the good news the Oxford vaccine is ready to be rolled out to patients.
The UK’s vaccine rollout has been dubbed as the biggest in history as the country grapples to get past the pain of the pandemic.
The Prime Minister said once again, he is asking people to stay at home, reminisicent of the messaging provided during the first lockdown in March.
READ MORE: Are schools closed in UK full lockdown?
What are the new lockdown rules?
The Prime Minister has imposed a third national lockdown on the country.
The most significant rule will be asking people to stay home, just as Brits were asked to only go out for essential reasons during the first pandemic.
Essential reasons include for exercise, work where workers cannot do so from home, and for domestic abuse victims who need to escape their situation.
Another drastic measure taken by the Government will be the closure of schools again.
The Government has bowed to significant pressure from the opposition and teachers and teaching unions on reopening schools amid the ongoing rising infection rates.
Mr Johnson said primary schools, secondary schools and colleges will all have to move to remote teaching for the majority of students from Tuesday, January 5, 2021.
The children of key workers and vulnerable children will be able to go into the classroom as normal.
University students will not be allowed to return to campus and will expect to study from their current home in a remote fashion.
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For a small number of critical university courses, in-person teaching will continue.
Places of worship can remain open for individual prayers and communal worship, but people should only visit with their household or support bubble.
As in Tier 4, all non-essential shops, hairdressers and personal care venues will have to shut their doors again.
Supermarkets, builders’ merchants and garden centres can continue to keep operating.
While the Prime Minister has said those needing to go to work can do so if they can’t work from home, vulnerable people should not.
Those who are clinically vulnerable and who were previously told to shield should stay at home and only leave for medical appointments and exercise.
Playgrounds will remain open, but outdoor gyms, tennis courts and golf courses must close, while outdoor team sports will not be permitted.
Premier League and other elite sports that already have in-place strict testing regimes and their own bubbles will be allowed to go ahead.
