New Covid-19 Restrictions For England Announced

New Covid-19
Restrictions For England Announced

UK PM Boris Johnson announced new restrictions for
England on Tuesday, following the recent resurgence in Covid-19 infections.
Reiterating on the dangers the country is facing from the pandemic, Johnson
decided to act immediately. The new restrictions include reducing the size of
wedding celebrations, bans on indoor team sports, as well as returning to work
from home.

During his speech in the House of Commons, Johnson
announced a ban on indoor team sports while pausing previous plans for the
partial return of sports fans to stadiums initially set at from October 1.
Wedding celebrations will be reduced by half, permitting only 15 guests.
Furthermore, masks will be mandatory for retail and hospitality staff, and also
passengers in taxis.

Johnson mentioned that the restrictions are most
likely to stay for at least six months, warning that no one can be exempted
from abiding the restrictions. In his speech, Johnson reminded that even after
the six months restrictions, people should not lower their guard down and think
that the worst is over as that would be the undoing of themselves. It is
crucial that people act together as complacency will make things worst and the
government will be forced to take more drastic actions.

Among the restrictions is the 10pm closing time for
pubs, bars and restaurants in England, where takeaway collections will also be
closed from 10pm; though deliveries will be allowed to continue. It is also
mandatory for venues to enforce social distancing and the ‘rule of six’, which
prohibits social gathering of more than six people. The rule that comes into
force on Thursday means that venues must close their shops at 10pm, instead of
just last call orders.

Johnson reminded that the restrictions are not
similar to the full lockdown in March, as schools and businesses are still
allowed to open. However, it is preferable for workers who are able to conduct
their work from home to do so. To ensure the restrictions are strictly obeyed,
the government is planning extra funding to provide greater police presence on
the streets.

The imposing of the restrictions comes amid the
worsening situation in London, including increasing ICU admission rates. As of
writing, total cases in the UK reached 403,551 while the total death toll
amounted to 41,825. On Tuesday, the UK recorded 4,926 new cases, its highest
level since May 7.

Photo Credit: https://www.ft.com/