- The new variant of covid 19 virus spreads faster to other European nations.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland demanding tighter measures to try to halt a new variant of the virus.
- Millions of people in the United Kingdom faced tough new coronavirus restrictions on Saturday.
- Northern Ireland went into a six-week lockdown and in Wales, restrictions that were relaxed for Christmas Day were also re-imposed.
According to a recent news report published in the Global News, coronavirus variant spreads to more European countries and these countries may follow stringent rules to safeguard people from getting infected.
England’s top level of restrictions
The number of people under England’s top level of restrictions — Tier 4 — increased by 6 million on Saturday to 24 million people overall, around 43 per cent of England’s population. The region included London and many of its surrounding areas.
No indoor mixing of households
No indoor mixing of households is allowed, and only essential travel permitted. Gyms, pools, hairdressers and stores selling nonessential goods have been ordered to close and pubs and restaurants can only do takeout. Business groups say the restrictions will be economically devastating to their members.
Drivers taken care of
Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Saturday more than 15,000 drivers had been tested and the backlog at a testing site at Manston Airport was cleared by Sunday morning. Only 36 positive tests had been reported, he said on Twitter.
“A massive THANK YOU to everyone who’s worked tirelessly over the past few days to reduce the huge disruption caused by the sudden French border closure,” Shapps tweeted.
Other neighboring countries feeling the heat
The first cases of the new variant have now been detected in France, Spain and Sweden.
A French man living in England arrived in France on Dec. 19 and tested positive for the new variant Friday, the French public health agency said. He has no symptoms and is isolating at his home in the central city of Tours.
A royal example
In her annual Christmas address, Queen Elizabeth II, who has spent much of the year isolating at Windsor Castle with her husband Prince Philip, delivered a heartfelt message of hope praising the “indomitable spirit” of those who have risen “magnificently” to the challenges of the pandemic.
The 94-year-old monarch and her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip were setting an example by not visiting relatives as usual over Christmas.
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Source: Global News
