England Enters 4-Week Lockdown

To curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in England, a four-week national lockdown has gone into effect as of today, Thursday 5 November.

In the United Kingdom as a whole, there have been 1 099 059 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Out of that amount, 47 742 have succumbed to the virus, while the number of people who have recovered is currently unknown.

England first underwent a lockdown in March, with many restrictions being eased or lifted as the months passed by.

However, with a “second wave” of COVID-19 infections surging throughout Europe, and amid fears that hospitals would be overwhelmed with a flood of new cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that the country would enter a second national lockdown.

During this period, people are strongly encouraged to stay at, and work from, home. Schools, colleges and universities will remain open. Households are banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens, unless in a support bubble.

All non-essential retailers, leisure and entertainment venues – specifically pubs, restaurants and gyms – will be closed, except for takeaways.