“2020 has been a tragic year, we still have a difficult winter ahead of us, and Christmas will not be able to unfold normally. But we have passed a bend and we see the light at the end of the tunnel. “ For the first time in months, Boris Johnson had positive announcements to deliver to his fellow citizens on Monday, November 23. Speaking in the House of Commons – by interposed screen, because he is still in quarantine -, the British Prime Minister confirmed, as promised in early November, the end of confinement on December 2 at midnight for the whole of the ‘England. Most “non-essential” stores will be able to reopen, a blessing for traders a few weeks before the holiday season.
Containment will be replaced by a system of regional semi-containments, on the model of the one that was imposed in October, except that it will be toughened. The populations of the areas placed in the “Tier 1” (level 1), where the lowest levels of Covid-19 infection have been identified, will have to continue working from home, ” If it’s possible “. On the other hand, the curfew imposed at 10 p.m. in the course of October for pubs, cafes and restaurants will be extended to 11 p.m.: customers can order until 10 p.m. “Which will allow them to gradually leave [les lieux, et d’éviter les rassemblements] “, specifies the government in a thick “winter plan” posted on Monday. Another novelty: the British will be able to return to the stadiums, with a maximum of 4,000 spectators.
Three levels of restrictions
In areas classified as tier 2, where the virus circulates more, the stadiums cannot contain more than 2000 spectators; pubs and bars will have to remain closed unless they are able to serve “hearty meals”. Finally in the zones tier 3 – at a higher level of infection, with the risk of saturating hospitals – pubs, restaurants and cafes will remain closed, except for take-out. Hotels will also be closed, such as theaters or cinemas. The aim is to bring the rate of transmission of the virus (the “R”) under the value of 1. On Monday evening, England recorded 206 deaths directly linked to Covid-19 over the last twenty-four hours, and 15,450 new positive cases, almost a third less than there were one week.
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