A person wearing a face mask to try to curb the spread of coronavirus walks past the temporarily closed Topshop flagship store on Oxford Street, during England’s second coronavirus lockdown, in London, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.
A person wearing a face mask to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus walks past the temporarily closed Topshop flagship store on Oxford Street, during England’s second coronavirus lockdown, in London, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. Matt Dunham, Associated Press
Herb Scribner
By Herb Scribner

England has gone into a new national COVID-19 lockdown that began Monday.

What’s going on?

Everyone will need to stay home unless they have permitted reasons to leave, BBC News reports.

  • Those reasons include “essential medical needs, food shopping, exercise and work for those who cannot do so from home,” according to BBC News.
  • Schools and colleges will close to most people and switch to remote learning until February, according to BBC News.

Context:

Officials hope the lockdown will contain the coronavirus variant, which has been widespread throughout the country and led to multiple shutdowns in Europe.

What they’re saying

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the lockdown will work to contain the new coronavirus variant, per Reuters.

  • “We must therefore go into a national lockdown, which is tough enough to contain this variant,” Johnson said.
  • “That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home.”
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Johnson said the weeks ahead will be the “hardest yet.” However, he said the country was entering “the last phase of the struggle.”

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