Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Monday that Scotland would enter a month-long lockdown beginning at midnight, as a highly infectious COVID-19 variant continues to spread rapidly throughout the United Kingdom.
Why it matters: Sturgeon warned that rising infections are putting "significant pressure" on the National Health Service, and that hospitals could reach capacity in three to four weeks. As a result, people must legally stay at home and work from home when possible.
What they're saying: "I am now more concerned about the situation now than I have ever been since March," Sturgeon said.
The big picture: The new variant has been found to have a greater degree of transmissibility, but there is "no evidence to suggest that the variant has any impact on the severity of disease or vaccine efficacy," per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
- Major swaths of England have already entered various stages of lockdown, but U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been pushed to do more.
- Downing Street is not expected to roll out any plans to tighten coronavirus restrictions on Monday, even after Sturgeon's announcement.
