England goes into new lockdown as Covid-19 variant rampages | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
June 09, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JUNE 09, 2023
England goes into new lockdown as Covid-19 variant rampages

Coronavirus chronicle

Reuters
05 January, 2021, 08:40 am
Last modified: 05 January, 2021, 08:53 am

Related News

  • Britain to host first global summit on artificial intelligence safety
  • UK keen to hire nurses from Bangladesh, invest in education
  • Hotels owners get Tk7.85 crore from DMCH for Covid-19 accommodation
  • Minister seeks UK's support in dealing with climate change impacts
  • UK provides additional support for Rohingya, host communities in Bangladesh after Cyclone Mocha

England goes into new lockdown as Covid-19 variant rampages

The announcement came just hours after the government hailed Britain's success in becoming the first country to begin rolling out the vaccine

Reuters
05 January, 2021, 08:40 am
Last modified: 05 January, 2021, 08:53 am
A woman wearing a protective face mask, following an outbreak of the coronavirus, walks in front of the Bank of England in London, Britain March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
A woman wearing a protective face mask, following an outbreak of the coronavirus, walks in front of the Bank of England in London, Britain March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered England into a new national lockdown to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases that threatens to overwhelm parts of the health system before a vaccine programme reaches a critical mass.

The announcement came just hours after the government hailed Britain's success in becoming the first country to begin rolling out the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca against Covid-19.

Johnson said a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom and now present in many other countries was spreading at great speed and immediate action was needed to slow it down.

"As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than any time since the start of the pandemic," Johnson said in a televised address to the country.

"With most of the country already under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control," he said.

"We must therefore go into a national lockdown, which is tough enough to contain this variant. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home."

Non-essential shops and hospitality would have to remain closed, while primary and secondary schools would close from Tuesday for all pupils except vulnerable children and those whose parents are key workers.

Johnson said the disruption meant it would not be possible for all exams to go ahead this summer -- the second academic year in a row in which the pandemic has played havoc with pupils' education and future plans.

Johnson said that if the vaccine rollout went as planned and the number of deaths responded to the lockdown measures as expected, it should be possible to start moving out of lockdown by the middle of February.

However, he urged caution about the timetable and appealed to everyone to comply with the rules.

Britain's economy suffered a historic crash of nearly 20% in the April-June period of 2020 as swathes of business were shuttered by the first lockdown.

The new measures, which allow companies such as construction firms to remain open, could cost about 10% of economic output for as long as they last, said Julian Jessop, a fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think-tank.

New Vaccine Launched

As Britain grapples with the world's sixth highest death toll and cases hit a new high, the country's chief medical officers said the spread of Covid-19 risked overwhelming parts of the health system within 21 days.

The surge in cases has been driven by the new variant of Covid-19, officials say, and while they acknowledge that the pandemic is spreading more quickly than expected, they say there is also light at the end of the tunnel - vaccinations.

Johnson's government earlier touted a scientific "triumph" as Britain became the first country in the world to start inoculating people with shots of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, received the first vaccination outside of a trial.

"I am so pleased to be getting the Covid vaccine today and really proud that it is one that was invented in Oxford," said the retired maintenance manager, just a few hundred metres from where the vaccine was developed.

But even with the vaccines being rolled out, the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths keep rising.

More than 75,000 people in the United Kingdom have died from Covid-19 within 28 days of a positive test since the start of the pandemic. A record 58,784 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Monday.

Moving a few hours ahead of Johnson, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed the most stringent lockdown for Scotland since last spring.

The devolved administration in Wales said all schools and colleges there should move to online learning until January 18.

Top News

UK / Britain / lockdown / England / coronavirus in UK / Coronavirus Pandemic / Covid -19 / Covid / Covid 19 / Boris Jhonson / Coronavirus

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • From bumps to bumper: Farmers get golden A+
    From bumps to bumper: Farmers get golden A+
  • Illustration: Collected
    Trade deficit surges $1.1b in April despite fall in imports
  • Photo: Collected
    Fighting load-shedding: Commerce to allow on-credit coal import for $5m

MOST VIEWED

  • Covid is no longer global health emergency: WHO
    Covid is no longer global health emergency: WHO
  • Federal police officers stand guard near the house of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, during a search operation at his home, in Brasilia, Brazil, 3 May, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
    Bolsonaro home raided, phone seized in Brazil vaccine records probe
  • World Health Organization logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo
    Covid here to stay but moving out of emergency phase: WHO
  • India's active case count now stands at 3.90 per cent. ( HT file Photo)
    India reports 12,591 new Covid cases today, 20% more than yesterday
  • People queue up outside a quick test centre to take their coronavirus disease (Covid-19) antigen rapid tests, in Singapore September 21, 2021. Photo :Reuters
    Singapore witnesses new Covid wave: ‘Cases are mostly mild’
  • India's active case count now stands at 3.90 per cent. ( HT file Photo)
    India logs 5,676 new Covid cases, active infections cross 37,000-mark

Related News

  • Britain to host first global summit on artificial intelligence safety
  • UK keen to hire nurses from Bangladesh, invest in education
  • Hotels owners get Tk7.85 crore from DMCH for Covid-19 accommodation
  • Minister seeks UK's support in dealing with climate change impacts
  • UK provides additional support for Rohingya, host communities in Bangladesh after Cyclone Mocha

Features

Our failure to prevent curious onlookers from gathering around the herds is a hindrance to mitigating human-elephant conflict. Photo: Mohammed Mostafa Feeroz

Bleak and desolate? The future of elephants in northern Bangladesh

8h | Earth
Apple does not need to make mixed reality seem exciting to get customers through its doors. They’re turning up in droves anyway, to buy new iPhones or to visit the Genius Bar for IT support. Photo: Bloomberg

Apple has 520 reasons its $3,499 headset will prevail

11h | Panorama
Md Shamsuddoha. Sketch: TBS

'Extreme heat waves are here to stay'

11h | Panorama
Kestopur’s residents have crafted fans for generations and provided it to Rajbari, Faridpur, Kustia, Madaripur, Dhaka and several other districts. Photo: Masum Billah

Talpakha: When novelty becomes necessity

16h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

13 helpful tips to negotiate about job

13 helpful tips to negotiate about job

6h | TBS Career
Why did Messi turn away from Europe?

Why did Messi turn away from Europe?

7h | TBS SPORTS
Breaching the Kakhovka dam – who benefits?

Breaching the Kakhovka dam – who benefits?

11h | TBS World
The cost of rechargeable fan is increasing hourly due to heating and load shedding

The cost of rechargeable fan is increasing hourly due to heating and load shedding

14h | TBS Today

Most Read

1
bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership
Banking

bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership

2
Photo: Noor-A-Alam/TBS
Splash

The Night Dhaka did NOT vibe with Anuv Jain

3
Photo: TBS
Energy

2nd unit of Payra power plant to shut down over coal shortage

4
Country's first floating solar power plant connected to national grid
Energy

Country's first floating solar power plant connected to national grid

5
Photo: Screengrab from a video posted by a NSU student
Energy

'Will collapse any moment': NSU teachers, students raise concern after long power outage hit country's largest private uni

6
Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed Paulash/TBS
Energy

LPG price drops by Tk13.42 per kg

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]