With the United Kingdom crossing the grim milestone of one-million COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced a new nationwide lockdown until December 2, but a senior government minister said it may last for longer than that, AP news reported.

During a 10 Downing Street briefing, Johnson said that the lockdown, which is to be imposed from Thursday, is the only answer to prevent hospitals being overflown with COVID-19 patients. 

However, cabinet minister Michael Gove said that the government had “fervent hope” to end the lockdown in time, but that cannot be guaranteed.

“With a virus this malignant, and with its capacity to move so quickly, it would be foolish to predict with absolute certainty what will happen in four weeks’ time,” he was quoted by AP as saying.

“In this country alas, as across much of Europe, the virus is spreading even faster than the reasonable worst-case scenario of our scientific advisers whose models suggest that unless we act we could see deaths in this country running at several thousand a day. A peak of mortality alas far bigger than the one we saw in April,” Johnson said on Saturday evening at the briefing.

The new rules, which will be debated in Parliament before a vote on Wednesday, will be enforced from midnight on Thursday until the start of December.

They would mean people in England will be allowed to leave home only for specific reasons, including for education; for work if someone cannot work from home; for exercise and recreation outdoors within your household or on your own with one person from another household; for medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm; to shop for food and essentials; and to provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer.

Non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues will all be closed and pubs, bars, restaurants must close except for takeaway and delivery services. Workplaces are expected to stay open where people can’t work from home, such as in the construction or manufacturing sectors.