‘My heart sank when I heard Boris’s announcement’: People of Chesterfield react as third national lockdown begins

In a televised address to the nation on Monday night, Boris Johnson instructed people to stay at home in an effort to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.

MORE: All the businesses allowed to remain open as country is plunged into another national lockdown

People can only leave home to shop for basic necessities, to go to work if jobs cannot be done from home, to exercise with household members or one other person preferably just once a day, to meet those in support or childcare bubbles, to seek help and to escape domestic abuse.

All primary schools, secondary schools and colleges will move to remote learning, except for the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils who will still be offered places.

Chesterfield mum Anna Melton, who also runs In The Works PR, said: “We went into 2021 full of hope that life would slowly return to normal and then bam – another lockdown.

“My heart sank when I heard Boris’s announcement that all schools would close.

“Homeschooling, as I found during the first lockdown, is a challenge like no other particularly when continuing to run a business.

“It is something I found hugely stressful and demanding – more than anything I have experienced in my 25-year career.”

Anna added: “I have also seen the crisis from the teacher’s perspective as my husband works in education.

“Working seven day weeks and well into the evening each day have become the norm for him since March.

“Days and evenings are spent answering parents’ questions, setting up systems and processes within the school, having long meetings with colleagues to plan the next stage and then having all the plans turned on the head with each Government announcement.

“Alongside this, he and his colleagues continue to teach students as best they can.

“There are no winners in this pandemic – only the virus at the moment.

“But I take comfort in the fact that we really are all in this together and fighting our own personal battles against this invisible enemy.”

Martin Wallis-Keyworth, owner of Less than Zero Barbers in Chesterfield, said firms like his which have been forced to close need more support from the Government.

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins said: “Tough restrictions must come with generous support for businesses endangered by endless Government failure.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that companies in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to be given a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 – with the measure costing £4billion across the UK.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Conservative leader of Derbyshire County Council, described the lockdown as ‘one last push to beat back the virus and hopefully get back to normal’.

Mr Johnson said that by the middle of February he wants everyone in the ‘top four priority groups’ to have been offered a first dose of one of the coronavirus vaccines – around 13 million people.

Commenting on our Facebook page, Anthony Horvath said: “Shutting the gate after the horse has bolted springs to mind.”

Bill Burns added: “He (Mr Johnson) is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.”

England's rules are due to be reviewed on February 15.

MORE: National lockdown: These are the fines for anyone breaking tough new rules

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