Britain PM Boris Johnson orders new national lockdown

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson orders new national lockdown as Britain faces `critical moment' in coronavirus pandemic.

The decision came on the same day as UK became the first country in the world to start using the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca, with a dialysis patient named Brian Pinker the first to get the shot.

Pinker says he was very pleased to get the vaccine, adding that he can now look forward to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary with his wife Shirley later this year.

Britain is in the midst of an acute outbreak, recording more than 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day over the past six days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says tougher restrictions will be announced soon.