As of Thursday, UK government will tighten restrictions in several parts of the country due to the rapid growth of the coronavirus, and several million more people will be locked down, said health secretary Matt Hancock, RIA Novosti reported.

Because of the spread of a new variant of COVID-19, three-quarters of the country’s population will now live under maximum restrictions, he said in parliament on Wednesday.

Currently, the strictest coronavirus-related restrictions apply in London and the southeast of the UK, and as of Thursday, there will be restrictions in 75% of the country. In other regions, the level of risk of spreading of COVID-19 will increase by one level, the minister added.

In the areas with the highest—fourth—level of risk, people are advised to stay indoors, there is a ban on visiting each other, and non-food shops, theaters, restaurants, pubs, barber shops, hair salons, and gyms are closed.