Golf courses MUST CLOSE as Boris Johnson sends England into national lockdown

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sent all of England into a third national lockdown in the last 10 months following a television address to the nation on Monday evening - and unfortunately it means all golf courses in the country must now close. 

The latest national lockdown in England will come into effect from tomorrow - Tuesday January 5 - at a time when the country has recorded 58,784 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 407 deaths. 

"The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet, but I really do believe we're entering the last phase of the struggle"

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urges people to "stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives"https://t.co/VHl4D892ss pic.twitter.com/jCnqGkOFBi

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) January 4, 2021

According to gov.uk's 'National Lockdown: Stay at Home' guidelines, all golf courses in England must now close until further notice. 

"Indoor gyms and sports facilities will remain closed," reads a statement on gov.uk.

"Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close. Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue."

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF GUIDELINES

"The government is instructing you to stay at home," said Johnson. "You will only be allowed to leave your home to shop for essentials, work if you cannot work from home, exercise, medical assistance such as getting a Covid test, and escaping domestic abuse."

It is not yet clear when England's new lockdown measures will be reviewed, but MPs are likely to be given a vote to approve them retrospectively on Wednesday. It is expected that restrictions will last until at least mid-February. 

The UK's coronavirus alert level was raised from Level 4 to Level 5 for the first time ever on Monday afternoon. 

Johnson had already warned earlier on Monday morning that there was "no question we will have to take tougher measures" and he vowed the government would be doing "everything we can to keep the virus under control."

But he also made it clear the nation has some very "tough weeks ahead" in the UK's fight to tackle the spread of Covid-19. 

Earlier in the day, the four nations' chief medical officers told how there was a "material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days" unless there was further action. 

"The spread of the new variant of COVID-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country," said a No.10 spokesperson. "The prime minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives."

First Minister Nicola Stugeon also announced a lockdown to come into effect in Scotland from midnight tonight and it will last until at least the end of the month. Golf courses in Scotland will, however, remain open for play but in two-balls. 

Golf courses remain closed in Wales, Northern Ireland and also in Republic of Ireland. 

NEXT PAGE: SCOTLAND HEADS INTO LOCKDOWN - BUT GOLF COURSES REMAIN OPEN