London | In the British Midlands town of Leicester, publican Stephen Ward had been preparing to reopen the Harrow Inn for “Super Saturday” on July 4: the longed-for day when lonely, thirsty, shaggy-haired Brits could once again visit pubs, hairdressers, and each other’s houses.

The plastic screens were up, the cask beer was in the cellar, the staff were off furlough. But on Monday, his best-laid plans were upended as Leicester's 350,000 inhabitants were plunged into a fresh two-week local lockdown.