Under England's Tier 4 restrictions, people are told to stay at home and non-essential shops, bars and restaurants are closed. Tough new coronavirus restrictions have begun in the U.K. with Scotland and Northern Ireland under tighter measures to try to halt a new variant of the virus that is believed to spread more quickly. The number of people under the country’s top level of restrictions — Tier 4 — increased by 6 million on Saturday to 24 million people, around 43 percent of Britain’s population. A further 570 deaths from coronavirus were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 70.195. The queen’s address carried added poignancy given the great sadness and upheaval that many families have experienced in the U.K., which has Europe’s second-highest death toll behind Italy.-AP

Source: The Standard December 26, 2020 15:56 UTC