England will end COVID lockdown with stricter tiered system

LONDON, (Reuters) - England will end a national COVID-19 lockdown on Dec. 2 and move into tougher tiered regional restrictions than before, with more areas facing severe constraints to prevent the virus from reigniting, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said.

Johnson ordered England in to a month- long lockdown in early November after infection cases and deaths started to rise again, angering businesses and some of his own political party over the economic consequences.

A second wave of infections has started to flatten, official data shows, but scientific advisers are expected to warn on Monday that previous regional restrictions did not go far enough and harder measures are needed to prevent another national lockdown. “The Prime Minister and his scientific advisors are clear the virus is still present - and without regional restrictions it could quickly run out of control again before vaccines and mass testing have had an effect,” a spokeswoman said.

“That would put in jeopardy the progress the country has made, and once again risk intolerable pressure on the NHS ( National Health Service).”

Britain has suffered the worst death toll in Europe and the deepest economic contraction of any G7 nation, prompting sharp criticism of Johnson’s handling of the pandemic.

Prior to the latest lockdown, England had been placed into three tiers, with the toughest measures imposed in northern England, where movement was limited and pubs were forced to close unless they sold substantial meals.

Johnson’s office said the prime minister would set out a new COVID Winter Plan on Monday, with more areas placed into the higher restrictions under the tiered system.