MPs to vote on England's month-long lockdown

If approved, the restrictions will come into force just after Wednesday midnight and will last until December 2. Defending the government's decision, chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that 'economically and socially destructive' lockdowns were the only practical option to stem the spread of Covid-19.

London: British MPs on Wednesday will vote on the UK government's decision to impose a month-long lockdown in England, slated to go into effect on Thursday, due to an unabated rise in the number of new Covid-19 cases amid the second wave of the pandemic.

If approved, the restrictions will come into force just after Wednesday midnight and will last until December 2, the BBC reported.

Under the new lockdown, pubs, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops will remain closed.

Defending the government's decision, chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that "economically and socially destructive" lockdowns were the only practical option to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Whitty added that this grim situation would remain until a vaccine and better drugs against the disease were available.

As of Wednesday, the UK's Covid-19 caseload and the death toll stood at 1,077,099 and 47,340, respectively.

(With inputs from IANS)