England braces for lockdown

London: Thirsty drinkers in England will be enjoying their final freshly poured pints in a pub for a month Wednesday while shoppers will get one last dose of retail therapy as the country prepares to join large swathes of Europe in lockdown as part of intensified efforts to contain the resurgent coronavirus.
Pubs, along with restaurants, hairdressers and other retailing outlets deemed to be selling non-essential items, such as books and sneakers, will have to close their doors Thursday until at least Dec.2 following a sudden change of course last weekend by the British government.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had for weeks argued in favor of more regional strategies to contain the virus, but said he had to be “humble in the face of nature.” British lawmakers are set to approve the latest lockdown measures later so they can take effect at midnight.
“I don’t think any government would want to impose these measures lightly, or any parliament would want to impose these measures lightly on the people of this country,” Johnson said.
England’s lockdown follows similar restrictions elsewhere in the UK and across Europe, as nations grapple with mounting new COVID-19 infections and clear signals that the number of people being hospitalized from the virus are increasing, WHO said. (AP)