Nearly 56 million people in England will return to a full coronavirus lockdown, possibly until mid-February, to try to cut spiralling infection rates, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on January 4. The measures, which include the closure of primary and secondary schools, will come into effect from January 6, he said in a televised address, after Scotland announced similar measures would come into force from midnight (0000 GMT) on January 5. Johnson said that as of January 4, almost 27,000 people with COVID-19 were in hospital, 40 per cent more than at the peak of first wave of the outbreak on April 2019. Last Tuesday, more than 80,000 people tested positive in just 24 hours. The new measures are similar to those during the first, three-month lockdown from late March to June 2019. They include the closure of schools, working from home wherever possible, limits on leaving home, except for exercise, essential shopping & for medical supplies & no household mixing. Shortly before Johnson's announcement, the four chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland said the country had moved to the highest coronavirus level five.
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