Boris Johnson Orders COVID Lockdown Through Mid-February

As COVID-19 cases ramp up across England, British Prime Minister Borish Jonson ordered a nation-wide lockdown into place to combat the case surge. At the beginning of the week, over 26,000 coronavirus patients were reported in England, a 30% jump in cases from the week before.

Per the new lockdown order, all levels of in-person schooling from primary schools to universities will be closed down until at least February. Non-essential businesses have been ordered to cease operation, although restaurants can continue to function through delivery services exclusively.

The rapid jump in cases has been explained by a new form of the virus, which Johnson has called “both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading.”

Scotland has recently announced that it will begin its own lockdown on Tuesday, with many of the same restrictions being put on its residents. The Scottish lockdown is set to remain in place until the end of January.