Second lockdown announced in England

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today, 31 October addressed the nation and revealed that England would enter tighter lockdown restrictions as the coronavirus second wave continues to grow.

England is following in the footsteps of both Wales and Northern Ireland, who have adopted ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus.

Speaking frankly tonight, the Prime Minister thanked those who had been living under strict tier restrictions, but explained the spread of the virus is moving far quicker than it can be dealt with. Saying “now is the time to take action”.

The lockdown restrictions, which begin on Thursday are set to last until December to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed with the potential number of Covid patients.

Although, in the short-term the ban on household mixing is back. In the tiered system this had previously been relaxed.

Schools and universities are set to stay open, as are supermarkets and essential shops. Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops will be forced to shut their doors once more.

The furlough scheme has been extended until 2 December, although some changes will be seen.

The Prime Minister announced these new restrictions, on the day the UK exceeded one million Covid-19 cases. Over the past seven days, the UK has averaged almost 23,000 new cases a day, and 237 deaths with coronavirus