Large parts of the country could be in Tier 4 for months, the Prime Minister has warned.
On the day that the Government announced plans to plunge millions more into the highest level of coronavirus restrictions from midnight tonight, Boris Johnson suggested it could be for the long haul.
During an interview this afternoon he was asked how long areas might stay in Tier 4 for.
The PM told ITV News: “I think Chris Whitty set a sort of terminus of April 5, Easter, where he taught things would be much much much better…"
When he was asked the same question again, Johnson said: “That will depend on how fast we can get the virus under control with tough tiering, with testing, and with rolling out the vaccination programme.
“I’m not going to give you a deadline. but you’ve heard what I said about April - that’s the terminus anti quem [latest possible date].
“If - and it’s a big if - if the tiering can work to bring the virus under control, if the vaccine rollout proceeds fast enough and we’re able to inoculate, to protect those millions… then there’s a world in which that fate could be brought forward.
"Who knows by how many weeks.
“That’s obviously what we’re aiming for - I can’t give you that date today.”
The Government announced today that an additional 20 million people in England are to be plunged into Tier 4.
The move is a desperate bid to slow the spread of a highly-infectious mutant coronavirus strain.
It means a total of 44 million people, or 78% of the population of England, will be living under the country's toughest restrictions from Thursday as the whole of the UK battles a winter surge.
All of England, except the Isles of Scilly, will be in Tiers 3 or 4.
No places will be in Tier 2.
The Tier 4 rules are very similar to the rules of the November national lockdown.
All non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, gyms and leisure centres, and other entertainment venues (such as theatres and cinemas) must close in Tier 4.
Only essential shops are allowed to open, and a stay at home order has been put into law for Tier 4 residents.
As in previous lockdowns there are exemptions - if you need to leave your home for essential shopping, education, childcare, work (if you can’t work from home) and unlimited exercise. Outdoor sport can also take place.
