Babak Belurs

Senin, 04 Januari 2021

COVID-19: Boris Johnson announces new national lockdown for England - Sky News

Boris Johnson has announced a new national lockdown for England - with people instructed to "stay at home" as they did during last March's first shutdown.

The prime minister revealed the action in an eight-minute TV address on Monday night, after being told that COVID-19 cases are rising rapidly in every part of the country due to the new coronavirus variant.

The public are being asked to follow the new rules, which replace the tiers system, from this evening.

It is expected the new lockdown in England - the third time a national shutdown has been introduced - will last until the middle of February.

People across the whole country must now stay at home apart from five exceptions:

for work, if people cannot work from home, such as those in the construction sector or key workers
to shop for necessities such as food or medicines
to exercise once per day at a local location. This can include with one other person from outside someone's household or support/childcare bubble
to provide care or help to vulnerable people
to attend medical appointments, get medical care or a coronavirus test, or to flee the threat of harm or violence.

All primary schools, secondary schools and colleges will move to online learning from tomorrow.

However, nurseries can remain open while childcare and support bubbles will stay in place.

Those who are judged to be clinically vulnerable are being urged to stay at home as much as possible and not go to work even if they can't work from home.

They should only go outside for exercise or to attend health appointments.

Mr Johnson said the new coronavirus variant, judged to be between 50% and 70% more transmissible, was spreading at a "frustrating and alarming" speed.

The prime minister warned this means "you are much, much more likely to catch the virus and pass it on".

"As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than at any time since the start of the pandemic," he added.

In England alone, the number of COVID patients in hospitals is now more than 40% higher than the peak of the first wave of coronavirus infections last April, with the number of deaths up by 20% over the past week, Mr Johnson said.

The prime minister's announcement came after the UK's COVID alert level was raised from Level 4 to Level 5, the highest possible, for the first time.

In a stark warning, the UK's chief medical officers said there was a "material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days" without further action.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had earlier announced a nationwide lockdown would be introduced in Scotland from midnight tonight.

And the Welsh government announced that all schools and colleges will move to online learning until 18 January.

The UK recorded 58,784 new coronavirus cases on Monday - the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic.

It is the seventh day in a row that there have been more than 50,000 daily cases, while government figures also showed there have been 407 more deaths in the past 24 hours.

The House of Commons will be recalled from its current recess to sit on Wednesday, so MPs can hear a statement from Mr Johnson and to vote on the new lockdown restrictions.

However Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons' Speaker, urged MPs to stay away from Westminster "unless absolutely necessary" and to take part virtually.

New polling published by YouGov on Monday suggested 79% of Britons are supportive of another lockdown for the UK, compared to 16% who are against a fresh nationwide shutdown.

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2021-01-04 20:03:45Z
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Police arrest MP over 'Covid rule breach' - BBC News

Scottish MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested by police after she admitted using public transport while infected with Covid-19.

Ms Ferrier apologised for what she called a "blip" in September.

She was suspended from the SNP group at Westminster and leaders, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, urged her to quit as an MP over the row.

Police Scotland said she had been charged in connection with "alleged culpable and reckless conduct".

Ms Ferrier apologised in September after travelling from London to Glasgow having tested positive for coronavirus.

The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP said she had experienced "mild symptoms" and taken a test, but had then decided to travel to Westminster because she was "feeling much better".

She then travelled home again on a train after receiving the positive test result, and said she "deeply regretted" her actions.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "We can confirm that officers today arrested and charged a 60-year-old woman in connection with alleged culpable and reckless conduct.

"This follows a thorough investigation by Police Scotland into an alleged breach of coronavirus regulations between 26 and 29 September 2020.

"A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal and we are unable to comment further."

Ms Ferrier has been contacted for comment.

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2021-01-04 19:28:00Z
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COVID-19: UK coronavirus alert level to be raised as NHS 'could be overwhelmed without more action' - Sky News

The UK's coronavirus alert level is to be raised from 4 to 5 - the highest level - for the first time.

It comes as the chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have warned the NHS could be overwhelmed within 21 days "in several areas" without further action.

Level 5 or "red" means there is a "material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed", compared to Level 4 when transmission of the virus is "high or rising exponentially".

The COVID-19 alert level refers to the threat of the epidemic and is separate from the tiering system in England.

It is set by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which includes all four nations' chief medical officers, and determines how strict coronavirus restrictions should be.

The chief medical officers, along with NHS England's national medical director Professor Stephen Powis, agreed to raise the alert level to 5.

In a joint statement, they said: "Many parts of the health systems in the four nations are already under immense pressure.

"There are currently very high rates of community transmission, with substantial numbers of COVID patients in hospitals and in intensive care.

"Cases are rising almost everywhere, in much of the country driven by the new more transmissible variant.

"We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days."

However, despite the "immense pressure" on the NHS, the chief medical officers stressed that people can still receive life-saving treatment, adding: "It is absolutely critical that people still come forward for emergency care."

"If you require non-urgent medical attention, please contact your GP or call NHS111," they said.

The coronavirus alert system was created in May, when the government mapped a way out of the initial lockdown - moving the alert level from 4 to 3 at that time.

Monday's raising of the alert level comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to address the nation from Downing Street at 8pm in light of the rapid spread of the new variant of the virus.

A Number 10 spokesman said ahead of the announcement: "The spread of the new variant of COVID-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.

"The prime minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives. He will set those out this evening."

Scotland has already announced it will lockdown almost all of the country from midnight on Tuesday, with schools closed until at least 1 February.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster was due to join a call with the UK government ahead of this evening's announcement.

The closure of schools would be "part of the discussions", Ms Foster said.

The Welsh government announced on Monday evening that all schools and colleges will move to online learning until 18 January.

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2021-01-04 18:55:13Z
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Coronavirus in Scotland: 'Stay at home' - Nicola Sturgeon announces full lockdown from midnight - The Scotsman

Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland is in “a race between the vaccine and the virus” as she announced stringent new lockdown measures from midnight and the closure of schools until February.

Monday, 4th January 2021, 5:51 pm

The First Minister said soaring case numbers of Covid-19 and the modelling of the spread of the virus suggested that without stringent new restrictions NHS capacity could be breached within three weeks.

She said prevarication or delay in dealing with the virus “almost always makes things worse not better” and that to ensure Scotland did not see the level of cases currently being experienced in London the government needed to “act quickly”.

Schools in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon extends pupil return to school date to Febr...

Members of the public walk through a deserted Edinburgh City Centre on Monday ahead of the national lockdown beginning

Ms Sturgeon said Monday’s case numbers – 1,905 new cases, with 15 per cent of tests being positive – “illustrated the severity and urgency of the situation”.

As a result, a new lockdown will start at midnight for all areas of Scotland currently in level four and schools will shift to online learning from January 11 for the rest of the month, rather than returning on January 18.

The Scottish islands in level three will remain in that tier, but schools will still close.

Existing strict travel restrictions will also remain in place, with no-one allowed to travel into or out of Scotland unless it is for an essential purpose.

The full lockdown will begin at midnight tonight, January 4.

The lockdown restrictions are similar to those introduced in March at the start of the pandemic, and the advice to stay at home will again become law.

Ms Sturgeon said: “This means it will only be permissible to leave home for an essential purpose. This will include, for example, caring responsibilities, essential shopping, exercise and being part of an extended household.

“In addition, anyone who is able to work from home must do so. It will only be a reasonable excuse to leave your home to go to work, if that work cannot be done from home.”

Ms Sturgeon’s announcement came as it was revealed Boris Johnson will give a public address from Downing Street at 8pm tonight, prompting speculation of a similar lockdown in England.

It is understood the Covid threat level – which is decided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre that includes the UK's four chief medical officers – is being moved up to five, the highest level, for the UK.

Addressing MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon said: “There have been two significant game changers in our fight against this virus.

“One, the approval of vaccines, is hugely positive and offers us the way out of this pandemic. But the other – the new faster spreading variant of the virus – is a massive blow.

“Possibly the most simple way of explaining the challenge we face right now is to compare it to a race. In one lane we have vaccines – our job is to make sure they run as fast as possible. That’s why the government will be doing everything we can to vaccinate people as quickly as possible.

“But in the other lane is the virus, which – as a result of this new variant – has just learned to run much faster and has most definitely picked up pace in the last couple of weeks.

"To ensure that the vaccine wins the race, it is essential to speed up vaccination as far as possible. But to give it the time it needs to get ahead, we must also slow the virus down.

“And because it is now spreading faster, that means even tougher restrictions are necessary.”

On schools Ms Sturgeon said: “I can confirm … we will keep schools closed to the majority of pupils until February 1. We will review this again in mid January.

"The change will apply to all pupils – except vulnerable children, and children of key workers. And it includes nursery schools, as well as primary and secondary schools.”

She said while the evidence “makes clear” that schools have been “low-risk environments for Covid”, the high levels of community transmission and the uncertainty of the impact of the new variant of the virus on young people meant schools had to close.

However, there will be “ongoing work on testing in schools and discussions about when, in the context of the overall programme, it will be possible to vaccinate school staff”.

The new restrictions also mean that people who were previously shielding because of other health conditions, and who cannot work from home, should not go into work at all.

However, unlike the lockdown last year, the frequency of outdoor exercise is not being limited, to allow people to “get outdoors for fresh air and exercise as much as possible”, though the rules will change.

From tomorrow a maximum of two people from up to two households will be able to meet outdoors, although children aged 11 and under will not be included in that limit.

Places of worship will also close, with the exception of conducting a funeral or wedding, though the numbers able to attend such services have been reduced.

Opposition parties welcomed the announcement in the light of rising cases, but stressed more support would be needed for working parents and businesses.

Ruth Davidson, Holyrood leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said the announcement showed the need to have a “comprehensive” test and trace system in place and questioned why the full capacity of 65,000 tests a day wasn't being used.

Ms Sturgeon said the capacity and demand would not be equal as testing was dependent on people with symptoms coming forward.

Ms Davidson said: “It's impossible to know if we’re winning the race between vaccine and virus, if we only show the daily infection figures without daily vaccination figures.

"Can she commit to publishing not just national vaccination figures, but numbers by health board and can she tell us when everyone in the over-80 cohort will receive their letter with vaccination details?”

Ms Sturgeon said the government was “intending to break down the weekly publication of the numbers vaccinated into categories and we will consider doing that by health board as well”.

She said: “I’m mindful of not putting too many burdens of data collection on people we’re expecting to undertake this huge logistical challenge.

"The vaccine programme is still in its early stage, but we’ve vaccinated more than 100,000 people and we will continue to focus on accelerating that as much as possible, though it is largely constrained by supply. We're not yet clear on what supplies we can expect beyond January.”

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the government needed to encourage businesses to furlough working parents who need time off to support their children while schools were closed.

He also called for £500 self-isolation support payments to be extended to a greater number of low-income workers as less than a quarter of applications had been successful.

“The issue here is not just whether schools and school buildings are open or not,” he said.

"It is how much preparation has been made by her government for the continuation of our children’s education. It is about whether the remote learning materials which were promised back in July are ready now six months later.

“It is about how much support there is for working parents, what the plan for them? For example, does the First Minister have a plan to encourage all businesses to furlough all working parents to take the time off to support their children.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “We have taken significant steps around online learning. The national e-learning offer, a collaborative programme, has already helped improve the options available to schools, with provision for live remote learning, recorded lessons and online digital learning.

"We will continue to look at that on an ongoing basis, but fundamentally the priority here in getting transmission down again is to keep the period of schools being closed as short as possible.

"We will be discussing, led by the Economy Secretary and starting today, with business organisations the expectations of businesses to do everything they can to support workers to work from home and support workers with childcare responsibilities. We're at a stage here where we need to have national collective endeavour to overcome this severe challenge we face and I know businesses will play their full part in that.”

Ms Sturgeon said there would be a later announcement on financial and other types of support for businesses and low-income families.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie asked if “given the threat of the virus is greater with age” there would be an earlier return of nurseries and primary schools compared to secondary schools?

Ms Sturgeon replied: “When it comes to getting schools back, it won’t necessarily be a binary, open or closed decision. One thing we will look at is if primary schools could come back before we felt it safe to bring secondary schools back, all these things are very much under consideration."

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2021-01-04 16:56:48Z
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Boris Johnson 'set to keep schools shut in January' under new lockdown - Daily Mail

Parents and children face WEEKS of chaos as Boris Johnson 'prepares to keep schools shut in January' during new national lockdown for England

Boris Johnson is this evening expected to announce a return to a national lockdown for the whole of England
The Prime Minister is expected to say that schools will be shut to all but vulnerable and key worker children
Such a decision likely to plunge the current school year into chaos and inevitably raise questions about exams
Comes after the Government was already facing a union and teacher backlash over its approach to reopening

By Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline

Published: 17:57 GMT, 4 January 2021 | Updated: 18:54 GMT, 4 January 2021

Boris Johnson is widely expected to keep schools across England shut as part of a new national coronavirus lockdown in a move which will leave parents and pupils facing weeks of uncertainty.

The Prime Minister will set out the 'next steps' in the Government's Covid-19 response with an address to the nation tonight at 8pm, with Parliament being recalled on Wednesday.

MailOnline understands England is facing blanket restrictions similar to those imposed during the first lockdown last spring, with fears they will have to last for months until the most vulnerable are vaccinated.

It is thought that schools will be told to remain shut to all but vulnerable children and the children of key workers in the coming weeks.

Such a move will plunge the school year into chaos and will raise questions over whether exams planned for 2021 will be able to go ahead.

Boris Johnson is widely expected to announce that schools across England will remain closed in the coming weeks as part of a new national lockdown

The Government has been under growing pressure to keep a majority of pupils out of the classroom since it announced last week that primary schools in numerous hotspot areas would be told to stay closed at the start of January.

Ministers also pushed back the start of term for the bulk of secondary school pupils by a week, meaning they were set to return on January 18 rather than January 11 - when only Years 11 and 13 preparing for exams were due to go back.

Mr Johnson said this morning that the argument for keeping schools open was 'powerful'.

The Prime Minister has also insisted that schools are safe and that closing primaries would be a 'last resort'.

But education unions have warned that bringing all pupils back to school could fuel the pandemic and put teachers at 'serious risk' of falling ill.

A joint statement from unions representing school staff and head teachers blasted the Government's 'chaotic' handling of the reopening of schools and said it had caused confusion for parents and staff.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said before the Prime Minister's address to the nation that any lockdown had to include the closure of schools.

He tweeted: 'We must introduce a national lockdown now. Tragically, that must mean school closures.

'We need a simple contract between the British people: the country goes into lockdown, the Government delivers the vaccine. Stay at home, protect the NHS, vaccinate Britain.'

Mr Johnson's address to the nation came hours after Nicola Sturgeon announced that schools in Scotland will remain closed for all of January as part of a new lockdown north of the border.

Ms Sturgeon said she hoped schools in Scotland would be able to return on February 1.

The delayed reopening of classrooms is likely to wreak havoc with the school year and raises questions about whether exams will go ahead as currently envisaged.

The Government has previously been adamant that exams will be sat in 2021 after the closure of schools meant they had to be scrapped last year.

Ministers said in October that they were working with exam regulator Ofqual to put plans in place for tests to go ahead.

They said exams would be pushed back by three weeks, starting after the May bank holiday half term and finishing on July 2.

A lengthy closure of schools in the coming weeks will inevitably trigger calls for a rethink over the exams timetable.

Mr Johnson said this morning that the risk posed by coronavirus to teachers was no greater than to anyone else.

He said: 'The risk to teachers, and of course we will do everything we can to protect teachers, but the risk to teachers is no greater than it is to anyone else.

'The reasons for wanting to keep schools open I think are very, very powerful.'

Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt had called for the closure of schools 'right away' as he warned that the pressures facing hospitals are 'off-the-scale worse' than previous winter crises.

Early findings from a small study carried out in November suggested that the proportion of school children and teachers with coronavirus mirrors the proportion in the local community.

The study of 105 schools, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last month, found that 1.24 per cent of pupils and 1.29 per cent of staff overall tested positive for current infection – similar to the 1.2 per cent reported in the community.

But no data or major study has been published since the emergence of a new, more infectious, strain of coronavirus.

The NAHT school leaders' union has called on the Government to disclose scientific evidence regarding the impact of the new Covid-19 variant on schools.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: 'NAHT began legal proceedings last Friday to force the government to reveal the scientific data it is withholding that underpin its assertions that schools are safe.

'We remain unconvinced, and we await the Government's reply, which is due at 4pm today.'

The NAHT – alongside the National Education Union (NEU), the NASUWT teachers' union, GMB, Unison and Unite – had earlier called for a move to remote learning for most pupils amid safety concerns.

Ministers have faced union fury over the Government's chaotic plans for the reopening of schools in January

Pupils across England are now facing the prospect of many weeks of remote learning as schools are told to stay shut

All staff continuing to work in schools with vulnerable pupils and children of key workers should be given priority access to Covid-19 vaccinations, the coalition of unions argued.

They said in a joint statement: 'Bringing all pupils back into classrooms while the rate of infection is so high is exposing education sector workers to serious risk of ill-health and could fuel the pandemic.'

The NEU had already advised its members that it is not safe to return to classrooms on Monday as schools in a number of non-hotspot areas said they intended to stay shut, against the Government's original orders.

Gildersome Primary School in Leeds, which is in Tier 3, has been forced to shut to most children indefinitely after 16 staff signed a letter saying they are 'exercising their right not to teach full classes'.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News that it is 'clear that the proportion of teachers who catch coronavirus is no higher than the rest of the population'.

He added: 'So there is clear public health advice behind the position that we have taken and that is what people should follow because, of course, education is very important as well, especially for people's long-term health.'

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2021-01-04 17:57:00Z
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COVID-19: Boris Johnson to set out 'further steps' to combat variant spread in TV address at 8pm - Sky News

Boris Johnson will make a TV address tonight to set out "further steps" to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The prime minister is expected to speak at 8pm amid calls for a third national lockdown in England.

It has also been announced the House of Commons will be recalled from its current recess to sit on Wednesday, so MPs can hear from Mr Johnson and to debate coronavirus restrictions.

Live COVID updates as PM to address the nation

A Number 10 spokesman said: "The spread of the new variant of COVID-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.

"The prime minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives.

"He will set those out this evening."

Earlier on Monday, Mr Johnson had warned there was "no question we will have to take tougher measures" and vowed the government would "do everything we can to keep the virus under control".

On a visit to a vaccination centre as the national rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine got under way, the prime minister said there were "tough, tough" weeks ahead in the UK's fight against COVID-19.

He spoke shortly before First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a nationwide lockdown will be introduced in Scotland from midnight tonight.

Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster revealed she would be speaking to the UK government at 5pm on Monday "regarding a coronavirus response across the four nations".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday demanded a national lockdown in England within 24 hours.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who was beaten to the Conservative leadership by Mr Johnson in 2019, has also called for action "right away" in a bid to ease "off-the-scale" pressures on hospitals.

Mr Hunt, now the chair of the House of Commons health committee, wants all schools to be closed, international travel to be stopped, and all household mixing to be banned.

"In the face of exponential growth even waiting an extra day causes many avoidable deaths," he said.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and London mayor Sadiq Khan are also among those to have called for a third lockdown in England.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out a new national lockdown for England during a Sky News interview on Monday.

He warned the new coronavirus variant was "much easier to catch", with the effect now being seen in "lots of different parts of the country".

New polling published on Monday by YouGov suggested 79% of Britons are supportive of another lockdown for the UK, compared to 16% who are against a fresh nationwide shutdown.

On Sunday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the sixth day in a row - as the total number of COVID-19 deaths passed 75,000.

In a note sent to MPs on Monday, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle revealed the House of Commons will sit from 11.30am on Wednesday in order to hear a statement from Mr Johnson and to debate public health regulations.

"As per my advice on the previous recall, I would strongly urge you NOT to physically come to Westminster to participate in any business unless absolutely necessary due to the current severe public health situation," Sir Lindsay said.

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2021-01-04 16:07:30Z
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COVID-19: Boris Johnson to set out 'further steps' to combat variant spread in TV address at 8pm - Sky News

Boris Johnson will make a TV address tonight to set out "further steps" to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The prime minister is expected to speak at 8pm amid calls for a third national lockdown in England.

It has also been announced the House of Commons will be recalled from its current recess to sit on Wednesday, so MPs can hear from Mr Johnson and to debate coronavirus restrictions.

Live COVID updates as PM to address the nation

A Number 10 spokesman said: "The spread of the new variant of COVID-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country.

"The prime minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives."

"He will set those out this evening."

Earlier on Monday, Mr Johnson had warned there was "no question we will have to take tougher measures" and vowed the government would "do everything we can to keep the virus under control".

He spoke shortly before First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a nationwide lockdown will be introduced in Scotland from midnight tonight.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday demanded a national lockdown in England within 24 hours.

Mr Hunt, now the chair of the House of Commons health committee, wants all schools to be closed, international travel to be stopped, and all household mixing to be banned.

"In the face of exponential growth even waiting an extra day causes many avoidable deaths," he said.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and London mayor Sadiq Khan are also among those to have called for a third lockdown in England.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out a new national lockdown for England during a Sky News interview on Monday.

He warned the new coronavirus variant was "much easier to catch", with the effect now being seen in "lots of different parts of the country".

On Sunday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the sixth day in a row - as the total number of COVID-19 deaths passed 75,000.

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Senin, 04 Januari 2021

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Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland is in “a race between the vaccine and the virus” as she announced stringent new lockdown measures from midnight and the closure of schools until February.

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Parents and children face WEEKS of chaos as Boris Johnson 'prepares to keep schools shut in January' during new national lockdown for England

More from Boris Johnson

More from Boris Johnson