UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reimposed a lockdown in England on Monday as a more transmissible variant of Covid-19 fuels a surge in infections and hospitalizations in the country.

The lockdown expected to last until mid-February, according to the Prime Minister.

Everyone in England must stay at home except for permitted reasons during a new coronavirus while all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from Tuesday until February half term. End-of-year exams will not take place this summer as normal.

Boris Johnson urged people to follow the rules immediately amid surging cases and patient numbers.

He said those in the top four priority groups would receive a first vaccine dose by the middle of next month according to foreign reports. The newly-approved coronavirus vaccine created by Oxford University and AstraZeneca is being rolled out across the UK today

"It is clear that we need to do more to bring this new variant under control," Johnson said. "That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home."

During his televised address to the nation, Johnson reimposed measures seen during the first lockdown, including closures of secondary and primary schools to all except the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

 

People will be allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons like shopping for essentials, exercise, and medical assistance

Johnson's announcement follows mounting calls from public health experts, teachers' unions and lawmakers for a more stringent lockdown. British teachers unions criticized the "chaotic reopening" of schools this week, "while the rate of infection is so high is exposing education sector workers to serious risk of ill-health and could fuel the pandemic," the Educations unions' joint statement said.

People in England are told to work from home after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.

PM suggests England could "steadily" move out of lockdown from mid-February. 

The UK's coronavirus alert level is expected to be upgraded to five - the highest level.

It means there is now a risk of the NHS being overwhelmed.