After downing a ultimate spherical of drinks, queueing outdoors soon-to-close retailers or getting a final haircut, England’s 56 million folks entered a second coronavirus lockdown on Thursday with extra doubts concerning the stringent coverage than the primary time round.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson deserted a just lately launched system of regional curbs and introduced an England-wide shutdown, after dire warnings that hospitals might quickly be overwhelmed with Covid-19 circumstances. The demise toll is hitting six-month highs.

However whereas opinion polls recommend general public backing for the stay-at-home coverage, issues are mounting concerning the influence on the financial system and on psychological well being. A sizeable minority of 32 Conservative MPs voted in opposition to the measures on Wednesday.

When the nation entered its first lockdown in vivid March springtime, assist was sturdy. However compliance with coronavirus measures has been fraying the longer they drag on into the winter, as folks’s livelihoods come below higher pressure.

“We will probably be paying this off for years,” mentioned Joe Curran, the owner of The Queen’s Head pub within the Soho space of central London. “This lockdown will price us hundreds on high of the hundreds to date.”

A brand new examine of greater than 6,000 adults by King’s School London discovered one-quarter believed they’d already contracted Covid-19 throughout the first wave, a a lot greater stage of an infection than authorities scientists estimate.

Many within the examine said they had been due to this fact immune and free to breach lockdown guidelines.

Johnson, the Conservative chief, confused that the newest measures would finish “mechanically” on December 2, when England will revert to a tiered system of curbs to replicate differing an infection ranges in particular person areas.

Britain is among the many world’s hardest-hit international locations with almost 48,000 deaths linked to the coronavirus from simply over a million optimistic circumstances.

A complete of 492 deaths inside 28 days of a optimistic check had been recorded on Wednesday — the very best quantity since mid-Might.

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England joined the opposite nations of the UK — Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire — in imposing one other lockdown, in step with European nations together with France and Germany.

– Christmas cheer? –

“After I take a look at what is going on now amongst a few of our continental pals, and I see docs who’ve examined optimistic being ordered to work on Covid wards and sufferers airlifted to hospital in another international locations merely to create space, I can attain just one conclusion,” Johnson informed parliament.

“I am not ready to take the danger with the lives of the British folks.”

The restrictions embody a return to working from residence the place potential and the closure of all non-essential retailers and companies, together with pubs, bars and eating places. Colleges will stay open.

In English cities, crowds gathered at pubs earlier than workers known as final orders within the hours earlier than the brand new curbs took impact. Hairdressers have been deluged this week, and prolonged queues snaked outdoors garments retailers Wednesday.

The chief of the primary opposition Labour get together, Keir Starmer, informed Johnson in parliament that it could be “insanity” to finish the measures in 4 weeks if circumstances are nonetheless rising then.

“We are going to then (on December 2), I hope very a lot, be capable of get this nation going once more, to get companies, to get retailers open once more within the run-up to Christmas,” Johnson mentioned.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak will element new monetary assist measures on Thursday, the federal government mentioned.

Additionally Thursday, the Financial institution of England is anticipated at its newest coverage assembly to spice up its money stimulus to combat the pandemic’s financial fallout, with one other £100 billion ($130 billion, 111 billion euros) approaching faucet.

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