People in London and other cities rushed on Wednesday to the stores in a last-minute attempt to buy clothes, homeware and other non-essential items before England enters its second COVID-19 lockdown on Thursday
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th November, 2020) People in London and other cities rushed on Wednesday to the stores in a last-minute attempt to buy clothes, homeware and other non-essential items before England enters its second COVID-19 lockdown on Thursday.
"For me, there is a sense of deja vu about all this," a middle-aged woman who identified herself as Sarah told Sputnik, while she was queuing to enter a store in Woolwich, a district in southeast London.
She noted, however, that this time it looked as if people were either better prepared or "resigned" to face another lockdown, because there are not too many people stockpiling toilet papers and food as in March.
"Im only hoping that government keeps its word and lift the restrictions before Christmas," Sarah said.
England is going to enter a four-week strict lockdown from Thursday, in an attempt to tackle the current surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday during the session on Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson insisted the lockdown would automatically end on December 2, but urged all the people to do their bit to get the COVID-19 infection rate down.
"I've no doubt that we can, and that we'll be able to go forward from 2 December with a very, very different approach - but, of course, it will be up to the House of Commons to decide, thereafter, what to do," Johnson said.
Hours after the prime minister addressed the House of Common, the regulations for the second lockdown in England was approved by a majority of 478 votes (516 to 38), in spite of the opposition of several Conservative lawmakers who said it will affect business and lives.
The new restrictions, which Johnson has said are "less prohibitive" and "less restrictive" than the ones imposed in March, will include the closure of pubs, restaurants, except for takeaways and deliveries, gyms, entertainment venues and all non-essential shop.
But unlike the previous national lockdown, schools, colleges and universities will remain open as well as workplaces for people who cannot work from home.
As of Wednesday, the United Kingdom has recorded 1,099,059 cases of the novel coronavirus and 47,742 deaths, as result of the pandemic.
