The UK Prime Minister has imposed a new national blockade, urging people to stay at home and close schools to control the super-infectious nCoV strain.

"Hospitals are increasingly under pressure from Covid-19 in comparison to the early pandemic. Much of the country is implementing strict measures, clearly we need to do more to control this strain.

The announcement comes just hours after the British government praised its success as the first country to launch the Covid-19 vaccine.

Under the new blockade, all non-essential stores and reception facilities will continue to close.

Prime Minister Johnson said the blockade orders could be eased from mid-February, if the vaccination program goes on as planned and the number of new deaths gradually declines.

The UK economy slumped 20% in the period of April-June 2020 when a series of businesses had to stop operating in the first national blockade.

British officials in mid-December announced the discovery of a new strain of nCoV, named B.1.1.7, with 20 more mutations than the original version and 70% more infectious.

Many countries have recorded new cases of nCoV infection such as France, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Singapore, Korea ... More than 50 countries have banned all flights or tightened control of passengers from the UK to limit

Britain is currently the fifth largest epidemic area in the world with more than 2.7 million cases of nCoV infection, of which more than 75,000 people have died.