COVID-19: United Kingdom goes into fresh lockdown until March

- The United Kingdom has gone into a fresh lockdown to stop the continued increase in COVID-19 infections

- PM Boris Johnson, on Monday, January 4 night, announced the new restrictions which he said take off in 24 hours and are expected to last until March

- Johnson said the move became necessary to prevent UK's health system from being overwhelmed

The government of the United Kingdom has ordered a third national lockdown in the European country.

The Independent UK reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the fresh lockdown order in a national address.

According to the national daily, the lockdown begins immediately with citizens getting just 24 hours to prepare for the fresh restrictions.

The latest lockdown will last till March, the newspaper reported on Monday, January 4 night.

PM Johnson hopes that the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine could provide a way out of the lockdown by mid-February.

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Johnson said the new lockdown was to prevent the UK's health system from being overwhelmed due to the increase in infections caused by the new coronavirus variant in the country.

He said:

"We now have a new variant of the virus. It has been both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading."

"As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic."

YEN.com.gh reported earlier that no fewer than 45 countries suspended flights from the United Kingdom (UK) as the nation experienced a surge in new COVID-19 cases.

A new strain of the virus moved swiftly across southern England and even Scotland closed its borders with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Source: YEN.com.gh