British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday night that the country will go into a third national lockdown to curb the alarming spread of the new COVID-19 variant.
Schools will be shut. While outside exercise will still be permitted, outdoor team sports and games will not.
This means the Premier League may go into suspension for the next six weeks, leaving football faithfuls distraught.
The Prime Minister addressed the country in a televised appearance to set out new Covid-19 controls and said the country’s hospitals are under more stress than any time during the pandemic.
Mr Johnson listed record after record being broken as the pandemic reached new devastating heights in England.
He went on to say England would go into a national lockdown that is tough enough to contain the new variant.
The government is now instructing the public to stay at home and only leave home for reasons permitted in law such as food shopping or exercise.
Outside exercise will still be permitted but outdoor team sports and games will not.
Schools in England will close from tomorrow with remote learning in place except for vulnerable children and those of key workers.
Mr Johnson said there will be ‘alternative arrangements’ for exams which won’t go ahead this year.
Shielding for the clinically vulnerable will also restart.
The Prime Minister outlined that he expected the lockdown to lift in mid-February as the vaccine continues to be rolled out.
The extraordinary measures will come into effect as soon as regulations are made Tuesday.
But Johnson urged the public to adopt the new rules now by staying at home.
MPs will get a vote on them on Wednesday when Parliament is recalled, although there is no prospect of them being defeated.
