Scotland ready for lockdown, as Johnson announces new sanctions for England

Published: 01/04/2021 – 18:26

Scotland on Monday announced the most stringent Kovid-19 lockdown since last March, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was about to announce strict sanctions to prevent a rapidly spreading outbreak of a new version in England. Of coronavirus.

The UK has the sixth official coronovirus death toll in the world at 75,024, and the number of new infections is increasing across the country.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the new variant accounted for almost half of new cases in Scotland and was 70% more transmissible.

The Scots, she said, would be legally required to stay indoors from midnight in January. Schools will be closed for all except children of essential workers.

“I am more concerned about the situation we are facing now than at any time since March,” Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament.

“Thanks for this new version, [the virus] Just learned to run very fast and has definitely gained momentum in the last few weeks, ”said Sturgeon.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Johnson said that tough measures were imminent, adding that he would address the nation at 8 pm local time. The British Parliament will be called back from recess to sit on Wednesday. Prior to Johnson’s comment, the Prime Minister’s Office did not release any details of the new measures.

While visiting a hospital to see the first people to receive the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine, Johnson said the country faces a “tough and difficult” week.

“If you look at the numbers, there is no doubt that we will have to take more stringent measures and we will announce them in due time.” “We really have viruses growing. “

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are implementing their Kovid-19 responses, although they are trying to create more coordination across the UK.

Government can reopen secondary schools

England is currently divided into four levels of sanctions, based on the prevalence of the virus, on the vast levels 3 and 4 of the country where the social mix is ​​tight and restaurants and pubs are closed.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the first level 3 regulations are clearly not working.

With his return to England in a strict lockdown imposed in the first wave of March, Johnson was also asked if schools should close again and go back to online learning.

He said that this option would be a last resort for primary schools that could cause social and educational damage to isolated children, but indicated that they might have to consider a plan to reopen secondary schools for them. is. Students between 11 and 18 years of age.

He said, “It seems that high schools are probably playing a greater role in the spread of the epidemic than primary schools, so we will need to be very focused on what we do with high schools later in the month . ” Announced.

As happens in most countries, the UK government has spent years trying to balance the need to shut down the country to prevent the virus to save the economy.

In May last year, the first nationwide coronovirus lockdown resulted in a 25% drop in economic output – unprecedented in modern records – leaving the UK economy the hardest hit by the epidemic.

As the economy partially recovered in the third quarter, further foreclosure measures threatened to trigger a double-dip recession in early 2021.

(With AP.)