London, Dec 27 Harsher coronavirus restrictions will now apply to millions more people in the UK as new tier changes came into force.
Besides England, lockdowns were also introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while restrictions that were eased for Christmas Day in Wales were re-imposed on Saturday, reports Xinhua news agency.
Those in the strict Tier Four, the toughest coronavirus restrictions, in England increased by six million to 24 million people, representing 43 per cent of the population, in response to a more transmissible variant being discovered in Britain.
The new restrictions were imposed after the British government said a further 570 died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus as of Christmas Day, while there were a further 32,725 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.
London and many other parts of England are currently under Tier Four restrictions, which require residents in the areas to stay at home, with limited exemptions.
The whole of Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, as well Essex, Waverley in Surrey, and all of Hampshire with the exception of the New Forest, are now in tier four, the BBC reported.
Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire, as well as Cheshire and Warrington, have all moved up to tier three.
Meanwhile, Cornwall and Herefordshire have moved from tier one to tier two.
People have been urged to work from home when they can, and should not enter or leave those areas.
On Saturday, the UK government announced a further 34,693 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in England and Scotland, while a further 210 people had died within 28 days of a positive test in England.
As of Sunday morning, the UK's overall coronavirus caseload and death toll increased to 2,262,735 and 70,513, respectively.
( With inputs from IANS )
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