Britain, Scotland begin national lockdowns amid more contagious COVID strain

Britain on Tuesday begins its second national lockdown to control the coronavirus, this time as an effort to slow a surge in infections attributed to a more contagious strain.

The lockdown comes 10 months after Britain's first, at the start of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday the new lockdown will last until at least mid-February. 

Most schools and colleges will be closed to in-person learning, and residents are being urged to work from home.

Scotland's leader, Nicola Sturgeon, also has imposed a lockdown with similar restrictions through the end of the month, according to the Associated Press.  

The announcements came on the same day that U.K. health authorities became the first in the world to begin using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the wire service also reports.