Boris Johnson Announces Second U.K. Lockdown To Begin Next Week

On Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a second national lockdown for England amid surging coronavirus cases.

The month-long shutdown will take effect Thursday and last through December 2. Johnson said a parliamentary vote on the measures would occur early next week during a news conference on Saturday.

“We must act now to contain the autumn surge,” he said. The U.K. just surpassed one million coronavirus cases. 

On Saturday, there were 21,915 new cases reported in the U.K., Johnson said, bringing the total to 1,011,660. There were 326 recent deaths, bringing the death toll to 46,555.

Johnson said residents would be required to stay home except for education, work that cannot be done from home, outdoor recreation and exercise, medical reasons, shopping for essentials such as food, or caring for others. Pubs and restaurants will remain open for takeout and delivery only. 

Unlike the first lockdown, schools, universities, and playgrounds will remain open. 

During the news conference, Johnson assured residents that the country’s program to replace 80 percent of lost wages would continue through the lockdown.

Wales has already been on lockdown for a week. European countries, including Ireland, France, Belgium, and Italy, are also under various shutdown stages.

The shutdown is a one-eighty from Johnson’s previous plan to take a regional approach to deal with coronavirus spikes. He did not want another shutdown but hadn’t ruled one out. 

The prime minister hopes that the lockdown will not have to continue past December 2 but will extend the lockdown if necessary.