England Covid lockdown: What does it mean for Londoners?
Boris Johnson has tonight announced a new seven-week national lockdown to deal with surging Covid rates that are now higher than during the country’s first peak last March.
The new measures will make little difference in London, which is already in Tier 4, however people in the capital will still have less freedoms from tomorrow.
The lockdown will be much the same as the one from last March, but with some key differences.
What is not allowed in the new Covid lockdown?
The Prime Minister had a simple message for people – stay home from this evening.
Everyone in England must stay home except for the following reasons:
- To go to work if it is impossible to work from home, such as construction workers or health workers
- To shop for necessities, including food and medicine
- To exercise locally once a day. This can be with one person from another household or with people from the same house or bubble
- To provide care or help to a vulnerable person
- To attend medical appointments, seek medical care or flee violence
All schools, colleges and universities will switch to remote learning, except for children of frontline workers and those who are considered to be vulnerable.
Restaurants and pubs can stay open for takeaways and deliveries, however takeaway alcohol can no longer be served from venues.
Places that will not be allowed to open include:
- Zoos
- Golf courses, tennis courts and other outdoor sports facilities
- Hair dressers, beauty salons and other personal care services
What can I still do during these six long weeks?
Elite sport, including the Premier League, will still be allowed to continue and some things will be allowed to stay open that could not during the original England lockdown.
This includes:
- Garden centres
- Builders merchants
- Places of worship. They will be open for communal prayer, but people must stick to social distancing rules
- Playgrounds