THE PRIME Minister has announced a new national lockdown for England, with people instructed to "stay at home" as they did during the first in March.

He announced it in a TV address Monday night, due to Covid-19 cases rising rapidly in every part of the country due to the new variant.

"As I speak to you tonight our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time," Mr Johnson said.

He expressed that the number of hospital patients has increased by almost a third to nearly 27,000, almost a third higher than the peak of the first wave in April.

People may only leave their homes to shop for essentials, to go to work "if you absolutely cannot work from home", to exercise, to seek medical assistance or to get a coronavirus test, or to escape domestic abuse.

"If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, we are advising you to begin shielding again, and you will shortly receive a letter about what this means for you,” he added.

Primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across England will move to remote learning from tomorrow, and that the new restrictions will mean it is "not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal".

Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education, announced Monday evening that the Welsh Government had come to the agreement to move to online learning until January 18.

Mr Johnson says that there is "one huge difference" compared to the lockdown of last March – “the biggest vaccination programme in our history”.  

"By the middle of February if things go well, and with a wind in our sails, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups identified by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation,” he said.

This means vaccinating care home residents and carers, all over-70s, everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, and all NHS frontline and health workers.

The PM also said those entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them during closures, and more devices distributed to help remote learning.

"If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, we are advising you to begin shielding again, and you will shortly receive a letter about what this means for you,” he added.