England going into second coronavirus lockdown lasting four weeks
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce a national lockdown going into effect on Thursday, Nov. 5 and lasting through Dec. 2, 2020. This is the second lockdown England will endure since the coronavirus pandemic peaked in April. This news follows a report of 21,915 new coronavirus cases recorded in the UK, surpassing 1 million cases in total since the pandemic began.
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This news was compounded by a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) report showing the UK’s daily infection rate of 43,000-74,000 cases per day has surpassed “worst-case scenario” expectations of 12,000-13,000.
In addition, the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) projects daily deaths peaking at 4,000 in December 2021 unless new measures are implemented. All of this data has influenced Johnson’s decision to implement a strict lockdown to get the pandemic under control.
How England's lockdown impacts travel
As part of the month-long lockdown, all non-essential shops and businesses will be required to shut down while schools, universities and offices that can't accommodate work-from-home will remain open. Affected businesses include business focused on leisure and entertainment. Restaurants and bars will be required to close unless they can offer takeout.
People won't be allowed to leave their homes, except for work, school, exercise, to shop for essentials, seek medical care and provide care for others.
All foreign travel will be banned, along with non-essential domestic travel. Essential reasons include travel for business and to care for relatives. Any tourists in the country will need to leave or risk being stuck in England until the lockdown is lifted.
Related: A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery
How this impacts Wales and Scotland
While England goes into a month-long lockdown, Wales is still set to end its own two-week “firebreak” on November 9.
The firebreak consisted of stay-at-home orders and closing of restaurants, bars and non-essential businesses like hotels and beauty salons. The Welsh Government will announce post-firebreak rules on Sunday.
Scotland currently advises against non-essential travel to England and, starting November 2, will implement a five-level restriction system. This system assigns varying restrictions to each region, depending on the severity of cases.
Related: Airline coronavirus change and cancellation policies: A complete list of major carriers
Bottom line
As the pandemic enters its second wave and case numbers rise throughout Europe, lockdowns like the one implemented in England are likely to become the norm. Both France and Germany have announced their own national lockdowns in an effort to slow the spread of the virus during the winter months.
For eager travelers hoping to travel to Western Europe, most countries will continue to be off-limits until at least 2021.
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- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
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- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
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Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees