(AP) – Last-minute shoppers in England are out in force and thirsty drinkers planned their final freshly poured pints in a pub for the next month as Britain prepared to join large swathes of Europe in a coronavirus lockdown designed to save its health care system from being overwhelmed.
Pubs, along with restaurants, hairdressers and shops selling non-essential items such as books and sneakers, will have to close Thursday until at least Dec. 2. The World Health Organization says European countries recorded a 46% increase in virus deaths compared with the previous week and were responsible for about half of the 1.7 million new cases reported worldwide last week.
