The New Year has only just begun. But the turmoil and trauma of 2020 are already casting long shadows over the months ahead.

Britain has locked down for the third time in just 10 months, with restrictions expected to last until March, at the earliest. What does this mean for education? What impact will it have on our businesses and economy? Will the rising tide of cases finally be turned back? And what progress is being made in the race for vaccination – and the light at the end of this dark tunnel?

Now is the time to turn to The Telegraph. Join us today to enjoy your first four months for just 3 in total with our special extended sale offer – and make sense of the new rules of lockdown with our award-winning journalists. You can cancel at any time.

Our unrivalled team will explain exactly what the Government’s new restrictions mean for you, from schools and universities to social contact and hospitality. You’ll be able to read more about lockdown’s impact on education, with up-to-the-minute coverage of the closure of schools and the news that teachers’ predicted grades are set to replace GCSEs and A-Levels.

Yesterday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a new package of support worth 4.6billion to help the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. However, industry groups have warned that one-off grants of up to 9,000 won’t be enough to save businesses, with Britain’s pubs and breweries facing an increasingly uncertain future.

With over one million people in England alone now infected with the virus, you’ll find all the latest updates on the battle against Covid-19. Sarah Knapton points out the ‘flaw with lockdown’ – namely that Britain’s 10 million key workers still need to travel to their jobs. Dominic Gilbert, meanwhile, looks at how the November lockdown failed to drive down cases in areas affected by the new strain. You can check the latest case numbers in your area via our handy postcode checker.

Tom Harwood encourages the Government to ‘make this lockdown count’ in his insightful commentary, urging ‘One last push and our misery could be over.’ Michael Deacon blends his renowned wry wit with incisive critique as he questions why Boris Johnson couldn’t tell the nation what changed as he closed schools just one day after ‘blithely’ assuring the nation of their safety.

Allison Pearson looks at the psychological impact of lockdown on schoolchildren, showing her concern as she asks whether we have ‘written off a generation’. Philip Johnston is typically, brilliantly incisive, stating that ‘Vaccines won’t rid us of Covid but they must put a stop to lockdowns.’

There is, however, hope on the horizon. Alexandra Phillips writes that Britain is ‘blazing quite the trail’ when it comes to vaccinations and that ‘The countdown to freedom has begun’. You can listen to the latest edition of Chopper’s Politics Podcast, too, as Sarah Knapton joins Christopher Hope to explain ‘why Britain will be out of the pandemic before any other country.’

You’ll be kept expertly informed of every crucial development in the race for inoculation, including the rollout of the Pfizer and Oxford jabs and who’ll receive them first, while Jeremy Warner calls for Britain to have a ‘world-beating system’ to deliver our vaccines.

If you’re worried about how this lockdown will affect your day-to-day life, or you’re simply looking for encouragement, don’t miss our team’s top tips on how to make it through with your marriage, business and sanity intact.

Challenging days lie ahead. But our award-winning journalists are here to help you face them with confidence and a clear head. Join us today to start your free one-month trial, then enjoy your next three months for just 1 a month. Read on for just 2 a week and cancel at any time.