UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has established a raft of new coronavirus restrictions for England. The restrictions could last for up to six months. He also warned “significantly greater restrictions” could be imposed if necessary.

The PM said Britain has reached “a perilous turning point” as the number of UK cases rose by 4 926, on Tuesday, with deaths increasing by 37. The BBC reports that Johnson had met with the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning. He said “similar steps” would be taken across the UK.

While Johnson stressed that the new restrictions imposed were “by no means a return to the full lockdown of March” and that businesses, schools, colleges, and universities would remain open, according to the BBC, attendance figures show the number of schools in England who have sent home groups of pupils due to Covid-19 incidents having quadrupled in a week. Meanwhile, in the last two weeks, hospital admissions have doubled. However, the BBC reports that even if a full lockdown was highly unlikely, closing hospitality venues and leisure facilities was a possibility, as was curbing activities such as playing sport, to travelling within the country.

Some of the new measures include a fine of £200 for failing to wear a mask or gathering in groups of more than six, on the first offence, and office workers being told to work from home again if possible. Further, spectators returning to sports venues will now not go ahead, as had been planned, from October 1.

Umm Muhammed Umar