Huge queues for Primark on final day before second lockdown as hundreds hit the shops
HUGE queues formed outside Primark this morning as hundreds hit the shops on the final day before the second lockdown hits.
Bargain hunters waited in line outside a number of stores from 7.30am to indulge in some retail therapy before shops close their doors again tomorrow.
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Shoppers queued for the Primark on Newcastle's Northumberland Street and the giant store in Sunderland to open before being unable to go into stores for four weeks.
The queues snaked from the door around the corner of the streets as people patiently waited for their turn to browse the rails.
And crowds forced to stay mostly inside for the next four weeks decided to quickly revamp their home with a last minute trip to Ikea, as the store in Greenwich, South East London, saw huge queues.
Non-essential shops will be forced to temporarily close again from Thursday as England goes into lockdown.
The lockdown is expected to last until December 2, although there is already speculation that the measures will last even longer than planned.
However yesterday Boris Johnson promised lockdown will end on December 2 and there will be "better days before us".
The PM told a Cabinet meeting today that without the four week lockdown Britain would without a doubt "see fatalities running in the thousands" but there is a "light ahead" for Britain.
Business chiefs warned the four-week shutdown must be the last as it has “been a body blow of devastating proportion for the economy”.
The decision to shut non-essential shops and ask Brits not to travel comes after Government scientists suggested there could be 4,000 deaths a day in England alone by early December.
But some experts say graphs used to justify a second Covid lockdown in England are "misleading" and are "mathematically incorrect".
It comes as coronavirus deaths have risen by 397 in the largest daily increase in fatalities since May.
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But cases have continued to level off as 20,018 more people tested positive for the bug today - as the country faces a second lockdown from Thursday.
The rise in infections marks a 12 per cent decrease on last Tuesday’s figure of 22,885 - amid hopes that the government’s Tier system could already be helping to flatten the curve.
But fatalities have seen an increase of 8 per cent after 367 deaths were recorded in all settings this time last week.
What will be closing?
- clothes shops
- electronics stores
- car showrooms
- travel agents
- betting shops and adult gaming centres
- auction houses
- tailors
- car washes
- tobacco and vape shops
- card shops
- phone shops
- jewellery stores
- toy shops
- homeware shops
- bookstores
- music shops