Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
BORIS JOHNSON HAS ordered a new national lockdown for England which means people will only be able to leave their homes for limited reasons, with measures expected to stay in place until mid-February.
In an address to the British nation, he said the new variant – which is 50% to 70% more transmissible – was spreading in a “frustrating and alarming” manner.
“As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic,” he said.
Johnson also announced that he was shutting all schools until the middle of February.
The lockdown will be brought into law as soon as possible, but Johnson urged the public to follow the rules straight away.
Johnson’s statement came after the chief medical officers for the first time raised the UK to the highest level on the Covid-19 alert system.
They warned the NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed within 21 days “in several areas” without further action.
The restrictions are unlikely to be eased until around 13 million people aged over 70 or classed as clinically extremely vulnerable have received the vaccine and been given enough time to be protected – a period of about two to three weeks after getting the jab.
Strong stay at home messaging will return, with leaving only permitted for limited exceptions such as shopping for necessities including food and medicine.
Parliament will be recalled on Wednesday so MPs can debate the measures.
A No 10 spokesman earlier said that the move was in response to the “rapidly escalating” numbers of infections following the emergence of the new variant.
The spokesman said: “The spread of the new variant of Covid-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.
“The Prime Minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives.”
The move came after Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scotland will go into lockdown for the rest of January with a legal requirement to stay at home and schools closed to most pupils until February.
Setting out the measures to come into force from tomorrow, the First Minister told MSPs in Holyrood: “It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.”
Earlier, during a visit to a vaccination centre in north London, Johnson acknowledged there was “no question” the further measures would be necessary, as cases continue to surge across the country.
The latest data show a 41% rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in hospital in England between Christmas Day and 3 January, figures which have caused alarm in Whitehall and the health service.
While ministers hailed the rollout of the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Johnson warned the nation needed to prepare for some “tough” weeks ahead as the jab was extended to the most vulnerable.
With 78% of England’s population already under the toughest current restrictions, ministers have been examining how successful the Tier 4 measures – which came into force for the first time on 20 December – have been.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Still the worst name for an app that I’ve heard. Hailo was a grand name.
@Mohanid Ragel: I think they got the idea for the name after reading something similar on walls in Derry.
@Mohanid Ragel: I herd that after the drivers didn’t paid the wanted to change it to “Ah Now”
@Mohanid Ragel: Wasn’t it called something else before it was Hailo?
@Mohanid Ragel:
As branding exercises go it was a spectacular screw up.
Hailo – fresh, includes reference to activity, unique, new word
To
MyTaxi – much worse, still says what it does, but you lose so much
To
Free Now – Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me. Possibly the worst move you could make. It’s full of ridicule, has no reference to the business, you’ve burned the goodwill you built up. Twice. Absolute disaster.
@Sequoia: When I first saw ‘Free Now’ I thought it was something to do with cable TV subscriptions – took a long time to figure out it was a taxi company (if that’s what it is).
This must be a great case study on ‘marketing disasters’ for students of marketing.
@Earth Traveller: I thought it was a ladies hygiene product.
I was in a taxi yesterday and the driver was nearly crying about the money he was owed
Happy it’s sorted
Maybe it might be a good idea to change the name to wait now!
Taxi game is fecked
‘People get their money paid early due to technical fault’ – a headline you’ll never see!
@Earth Traveller: You’ll never see it as it is unlikely that a technical fault could predict future taxi journeys to pay drivers before said journeys happened .
@Conall: Sure yesterday someone here was calling for a report of hospital figures for the year. People don’t seem to get it that you can’t have the yearly stats before the end of the year happens.
Anyway, glad the drivers had their money sorted out.
Free Now would have been a great name for a Free to air tv operation. Similar to Saorview
Why does a Private Company’s financial hiccup get 2 articles on the Journal? How is this National News…?
@Paul Casey: maybe because a lot of daxi drivers were not going to meet there bills
@Paul Casey: It’s probably not big news in Manchester.
@Paul Casey: Maybe because it was an event that happened across the nation and is interesting due to its controversial nature.
@Paul Casey: 14000 people not getting paid, should be enough of a reason.
have your say