UK PM considering new restrictions amid second coronavirus wave

UK PM considering new restrictions amid second coronavirus wave
# 19 September 2020 12:16 (UTC +04:00)

Boris Johnson will spend the weekend considering whether to tighten Covid-19 measures further, after saying the UK was "now seeing a second wave", APA reports citing BBC.

The government is understood to be looking at a ban on households in England mixing, and reducing opening hours for pubs and restaurants.

At least 13.5 million people, roughly one in five of the UK population, are already facing local restrictions.

In London, additional measures were "increasingly likely", its mayor said.

Mr Johnson only has direct power over restrictions in England. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can set their own rules.

Widespread growth of the virus has been recorded across the country, with cases doubling every seven to eight days.

There were a further 4,322 confirmed cases on Friday - the first time the daily total of positive tests has exceeded 4,000 since 8 May.

Meanwhile, governments across Europe have announced new restrictions to tackle the surge in infections.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Johnson said he did not "want to go into bigger lockdown measures" but that tighter social distancing rules might be necessary.

He added: "Clearly when you look at what is happening, you have got to wonder whether we need to go further than the rule of six that we brought in on Monday."

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED