Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a new set of restrictions for Britain to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in what has been described as a potential "second wave" of the virus.
The new measures come after the coronavirus alert level upgraded from 3 to 4 yesterday, meaning transmission of the virus is "high or rising exponentially".
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove issued a statement asking people to "work from home where possible", while a 10pm curfew has now been put into place in all bars, restaurants and pubs, forcing them to close from 10pm from Thursday.
Boris Johnson outlined the new protocols in a statement to the House of Commons, saying: "This is the moment where we must act. If we can curb the number of daily infections, we can save lives, protect the NHS and shelter the economy."
The Prime Minister also announced that all staff in retail, taxis and hospitality businesses will be required to wear face coverings, whole only 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and a maximum of 30 can attend funerals.
A partial re-opening of sports stadiums on October 1 was also expected to take place, but that plan has now been scrapped following the recent surge in cases, meaning a further setback for clubs and fans across the country.
Johnson also added that the new restrictions could remain in place for at least six months: "We will spare no effort in developing vaccines, treatments, new forms of mass-testing, but unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions that I have announced will remain in place for perhaps six months."
