"With a heavy heart I must announce that we cannot have the Christmas we had planned."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this when announcing new restrictions in the United Kingdom following information on a new variant of the coronavirus: it is confirmed that London and the south-east of England will go into lockdown from tomorrow.
"The virus appears to be circulating faster due to a new variant, there is no evidence of greater lethality but it seems to be spreading faster. That's all we know, but we need to act now," the British premier said at the conference print.
"Nothing at the moment indicates that the vaccine will be any less effective," he added.
Boris Johnson has announced that starting from London tomorrow, the South East and East of England will enter the so-called 'tier 4', the highest level of alert that provides the toughest restrictions to counter the circulation of the coronavirus.
Measures equivalent to those introduced in England in November and which will remain in place for two weeks, with a review expected on 30 December.
You will have to stay indoors and non-essential businesses will remain closed.
Everyone is welcome to work from home wherever possible.
Johnson pointed out that although the new variant of the virus is concentrated in so-called 'tier 4' areas of the United Kingdom, it is nevertheless present throughout the country.
"Everyone has to stay in their area and carefully consider traveling abroad," he explained.
Those in 'tier 4' are not allowed to go abroad, except in exceptional circumstances.
"If the facts change, the approach must be changed. When the virus changes its method of attack, we must change our method of defense," stressed the British Prime Minister, answering reporters' questions about the fact that only three days ago he said it would be "inhumane" to change plans for Christmas.
