A new national lockdown will be imposed in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Saturday, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country topped 1 million.
Details: Starting Thursday, people in England must stay at home, and bars and restaurants will close, except for takeout and deliveries. All non-essential retail will also be shuttered. Different households will be banned from mixing indoors. International travel, unless for business purposes, will be banned. The new measures will last through at least December 2.
- Schools and universities will remain open. Courts of law, construction and manufacturing are allowed to continue.
- Private prayer will be allowed in religious spaces, but not services.
- Outdoor exercise will also be permitted.
- The new rules will be published in full Tuesday and voted on by MPs Wednesday, per The Guardian.
What he's saying: “From Thursday until the start of December you must stay at home, you may only leave home for specific reasons” Johnson at a news conference, per the BBC.
- ”Now is the time to take action, because there is no alternative," he added.
The big picture: The U.K. is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in tandem with spikes in neighboring European nations including France, Spain and Germany.
- The U.K. experienced a dramatic coronavirus outbreak this spring, during which Johnson tested positive for the illness.
