LONDON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Saturday that England will enter a month-long lockdown from Thursday.

Under the new measures, which will be effective until Dec. 2, people in England will only be allowed to leave their homes for specific reasons, such as education, work or food shopping, said Johnson in a virtual press conference at Downing Street.

Pubs, bars and restaurants will close across the country except for takeaways. Non-essential shops, hairdressers and leisure and entertainment venues will also be shut, he said.

Schools, colleges and universities will remain open, said the prime minister.

To bring life back to normal, countries, such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States, are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.