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Summary
- The second lockdown in England was lifted at midnight and new tougher and tighter Covid-19 measures came into effect
- The three tier-based plans proposed by the British Government was approved by parliamentarians in the House of Commons with the support of 291 votes to 78
- A total of 55 Tory MPs voted against the plan, and 16 preferred not to cast their votes.
The tier-based lockdown plans proposed by the British Government have finally received the approval from the parliamentarians in the House of Commons on 1 December. The new rules, which were implemented from 2 December, were supported by 291 votes to 78. However, a total of 55 Tory MPs voted against the plan, and 16 preferred not to cast their votes, marking the biggest rebellion since Boris Johnson was elected as the Prime Minister last year.
(Image Source- ©Kalkine Group 2020)
The second lockdown for four weeks in England was lifted at midnight, and the new tougher and tighter measures came into effect. As per the new system, nearly the whole of England, more than 55 million people, is in the highest two tiers. London is among one of the cities belonging to Tier 2.
Though the novel coronavirus has been brought under control now, vigilance is still required, said the health minister of the country.
PM Johnson has pledged a localised approach in reviewing the planned tiered restrictions of England in the run-up to Christmas and festive season, bowing to pressure from Tory backbench rebels. The prime minister has promised to evaluate the situation and take a call on easing out restrictions from 16 December, in areas experiencing low levels of Covid-19 infections.
Johnson, in an attempt to calm down the rebellious Tory MPs, had mentioned last week that the tiers would be reviewed every two weeks. The regulations would go on till 3 February. After the fourth review on 27 January, Parliament will have another voting session on the tiered system and decide whether the restrictions should continue till the end of March.
Under the second lockdown, no new concessions have been offered by the UK government except a £1,000 one-off payment to pubs which are forced to close under Tier 2 rules because they do not serve substantial meals along with selling alcohol.
Good Read: Tighter Tier System: How Will It Affect the Hospitality Sector
Meanwhile, in a major development on Wednesday, the UK become the first western nation to licence the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech and paving the way for mass inoculation, which may start from next week. The potential vaccine approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has shown 95 per cent efficacy in the final study.
To Know More, Do Read: MHRA approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the UK, will be available from next week
