UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged that his government would use “every available second” to protect the elderly and vulnerable from the virus rampaging across Britain.
Mr Johnson on Wednesday addressed Parliament to explain why Britain had to return to a Covid-19 lockdown.
Members were recalled from their Christmas recess to discuss the measures, which came into force at midnight.
They are expected to approve England’s third national lockdown because there is a wide consensus on the need for tougher restrictions to control soaring new infections.
“When the Office for National Statistics reports that more than 2 per cent of the population is now infected, and when the number of patients in hospitals in England is now 40 per cent higher than the first peak in April, it is inescapable that the facts are changing and we must change our response,” Mr Johnson said.
“We will use every available second of the lockdown to place this invisible shield around the elderly and the vulnerable” until vaccination provides a “means of escape” from lockdown, he said.
The UK is in a storm of rising Covid-19 infections, hospital admissions and deaths.
Britain reported more than 60,000 new confirmed cases in 24 hours for the second day in a row on Wednesday.
Authorities said more than 403,914 people had tested positive in the past seven days, a 43 per cent increase from the previous week.
Rising infections are also putting an unprecedented strain on the nation’s healthcare system.
Hospitals in the UK are treating 30,451 coronavirus patients, 40 per cent more than during the pandemic’s first peak in April.
Authorities reported 1,041 deaths on Wednesday, the highest since April 21.
Hospitals are jammed with Covid-19 patients and medical personnel, many of whom are exhausted after months of dealing with the virus, find themselves stretched thin.
“We’ve got these unprecedented numbers of patients coming in with Covid,” said Dr Tom Dolphin, a member of the British Medical Association council who works in London.
“And we probably haven’t seen the peak yet from the patients coming in who got infected during Christmas and the new year period.”
When Mr Johnson on Monday announced the stay-at-home order and the nationwide closure of gyms, pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops, he said the restrictions would be in place until mid-February.
By that time, the government hopes to have given one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to about 13 million people who are most at risk, including everyone in the country over age 70.
That could allow some relaxation of the restrictions.
“After the marathon of last year, we are indeed now in a sprint, a race to vaccinate the vulnerable faster than the virus can reach them, and every needle in every arm makes a difference,” Mr Johnson said.
There has been anger over the chaos in the government’s education strategy during the pandemic.
As part of the latest lockdown, Mr Johnson ordered schools across England to close, retreating on the government’s pledge to keep them open.
Some politicians are seeking assurances that schools will reopen in mid-February.
“It’s been a huge shambles,” Robert Halfon, chairman of the House of Commons’ education committee, told the BBC.
“This has got to stop. The government has got to offer consistency, a consistent policy that doesn’t change every couple of days.”
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the major exams for pupils aged 16 and 18, which determine their chances of tertiary education, will not be held this summer.
Mr Williamson said students would instead be graded based on teacher assessments.
Mr Johnson ordered the national lockdown in England after public health officials warned that the rising infection rates threatened to overwhelm the National Health Service.
On Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics estimated that 1 in 50 people in England was infected with Covid-19 in the week ending January 2.
The government is intensifying its mass vaccination programme after regulators authorised a second vaccine.
The UK is using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and one made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.
Both require two shots but British authorities decided to delay the second shot from 21 days after the first to up to 12 weeks later, to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.
The decision is being hotly debated by governments and scientists around the world.
As of Monday, the NHS had vaccinated 1.3 million people across the UK.
The government plans to have almost 1,000 vaccination centres operating across the country by the end of this week, Mr Johnson said.
The%20specs
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The%20specs
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Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
