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The British government imposed harsh lockdown restrictions on millions more English residents on Wednesday, as the National Health Service continues to strain under the coronavirus pandemic.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that three-quarters of England would now be in Tier 4 — the toughest restrictions where people are advised to stay at home and all non-essential retail is closed. The changes, which will come into effect on Thursday, will affect the Midlands, northeast England as well as parts of the northwest and southwest of the country. Most other parts of the country will be moved to Tier 3, where the rules include the closure of restaurants, pubs and holiday accommodation.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Hancock said that the NHS was under “very significant pressure” with over 21,000 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19. “The threat to life from this virus is real and the pressures on the NHS are real too,” he said. Over 53,000 new cases were registered on Tuesday, with Hancock saying that the majority of these are believed to be the new variant. “Unfortunately this new variant is spreading across most of England and cases are doubling fast,” he said.
The creation of a “Tier 4” was announced prior to Christmas, with London and parts of southeast England entering the new tier and being barred from mixing with other households.
The government also announced a delayed return for secondary school students, with those in exam years only returning on the week beginning January 11 and the rest of secondary school students returning the week beginning January 18; years 11 and 13 were initially slated to return to school on January 4, with the rest on January 11. This comes despite U.K. government scientists telling Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he should keep secondary schools closed in January.
Primary schools will still reopen next week, except for a limited number in areas where the infection rate is the highest.
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