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Empty shelves, no toilet paper, hamster purchases - as of today, far-reaching exit restrictions apply again in England.
Because of the significantly increasing number of corona infections, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appealed to his compatriots yesterday evening.
Boris Johnson / Prime Minister
“As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from the rising Covid-19 infections than they have been since the beginning of the pandemic. In England, the number of patients who have to be treated in hospitals because of Corona has risen by a third to almost 27,000 patients in the last week. That's forty percent more than in the first wave in April. "
Most recently, Great Britain had always announced new records for new infections, on Monday there were almost 59,000 people who were infected with the corona virus.
The employees at St. Georges Hospital in London have been working at the limit for weeks.
Chloe Walker / Nurse
“It's the first Monday after Christmas and New Years, and it's the worst shift of my life. It's tough. I have a lot more patients to look after than I normally do. The whole situation is overwhelming. "
Hannah Packham / nurse
“I cry a lot when I come home. Sleep - we have sleep problems, both the nurses and the doctors. On your days off, you have to recover as best you can. And you have to prepare to come back here. "
The new variant of the corona virus in particular is blamed for the rapidly increasing number of new infections in Great Britain.
Experts suspect that the virus variant called B.1.1.7 is around 70 times as contagious as the previously known form.
In the meantime, 62 percent of all London residents who tested positive are carriers of the new variant.
Dominic Spray / Intensive Care Medicine
“We have 40-year-old, 30-year-old and 20-year-old people in the intensive care unit who are dying from Covid. We have to decide whether to have cancer treatments. We have to postpone cancer operations because of the high number of corona patients. Even if you think to yourself that if you don't follow the rules, you won't harm anyone, you will harm people. It has an impact and we see that impact here. "
People in Great Britain are now only allowed to leave the house for necessary activities such as visiting the doctor or working.
Schools are closed, recreational sports are no longer allowed.
According to the Prime Minister, the measures are likely to remain in force until mid-February.
Boris Johnson / Prime Minister
“It's very clear: we need to do more together to control the new virus variation as we keep vaccinating. We therefore have to go into a national lockdown in England that is strong enough to get this variant under control. The weeks ahead will be the toughest, but I am convinced that we are entering the final phase of the fight. Because with every vaccination that is injected into our arms, we turn the tide - against Covid and in favor of the British people. "
Parliament is due to debate the lockdown this Wednesday.
Broad, cross-party approval is expected.