LONDON: Britain has announced a nationwide shutdown in the wake of a widespread outbreak of the highly contagious new Covid virus. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself.
The current closure is from midnight on Wednesday to mid-February. Boris Johnson said the closure was in response to a sharp rise in the number of patients.
Similar restrictions have been imposed on the first phase of lockdown, which lasted from late March to June last year. Institutions and shops other than essential services are proposed to be closed.