LONDON (AP) – Last-minute shoppers in England were out in force Wednesday and thirsty drinkers planned their final freshly poured pints in a pub for the next month as Britain prepared to join large swathes of Europe in a coronavirus lockdown designed to save its health care system from being overwhelmed.
All non-essential venues – which in England included pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment venues and stores selling items like books, clothing and sneakers – must close Thursday until at least Dec. 2. That ruling came after a sudden change of course last weekend by Britain’s government, which had for weeks been advocating a targeted regional response to the pandemic instead of another national lockdown.
Two changes from the U.K.’s spring lockdown is that this time schools and universities in England are remaining open, as are construction sites and factories.
British lawmakers are set to approve the latest lockdown measures later Wednesday so they can take effect at midnight. Many in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party are opposed to the new lockdown, saying the response is too draconian and will devastate the economy, but the measure is sure to pass with the backing of the opposition Labour Party, which says the new restrictions should have been imposed weeks ago.
“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.