The decision follows a rapid rise in infections, hospital admissions and case rates across the country.
This drastic jump in cases has been attributed to the new variant of COVID-19, which the government’s scientists have now confirmed is between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible.
From 5 January 2021 people will only be allowed to leave their homes for the following reasons:
- Shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person.
- Go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home.
- Exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
- Meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one.
- Seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse).
- Attend education or childcare – for those eligible. All primary schools, secondary schools and colleges will move to remote learning, except for the children of key workers and vulnerable children. Schools will be required to provide remote education for those learning at home.
Early years settings such as nurseries, alternative provision and special schools will remain open and vulnerable children and children of critical workers can continue to use registered childcare, childminders and other childcare activities.
The new rules will become law from 00.01 on Wednesday 6 January 2021
The restrictions are expected to last until the middle of February if the situation in hospitals improve.
By this point, the NHS hopes to have vaccinated everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) – including older care home residents and staff, everyone over 70, all frontline NHS and care staff and all those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
The press release can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-announces-national-lockdown