Millions of Brits have started to stay at home as a second national lockdown to curb resurging coronavirus infections kicked in on Thursday.
FURTHER 492 FATALITIES RAISED THE DEATH TOLL TO 47,742
Under the restrictions, people are asked not to leave their homes unless necessary, work from home if they can, and avoid meeting more than one person at a time.
Non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants, and gyms will remain closed until the end of the lockdown on Dec. 2.
Government data released on Wednesday showed a further 25,177 people tested positive for coronavirus across the UK over the past 24 hours, the second highest figure on record, bringing the total close to 1.1 million (1,099,059).
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he was “not prepared to take a risk with the lives of the British people,” stressing that without a fresh lockdown there would be deaths “on a grievous scale.” He said the National Health Service (NHS) would likely be in “extraordinary trouble” next month without the restrictions.