Johnson Set to Tighten Rules as U.K. Coronavirus Cases Mount
Johnson Set to Tighten U.K. Restrictions as Virus Cases Mount
(Bloomberg) --
Boris Johnson will step up efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus on Monday, outlining a tiered alert system Monday that would see millions of Britons subject to more stringent curbs on their everyday lives.
England will be divided into areas of “medium,” “high” and “very high” alert, with the levels determining the restrictions imposed. The prime minister will formalize the plan with his Cobra emergency committee on Monday, before announcing them in the House of Commons. Members of Parliament will get a chance to vote on them on Tuesday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said.
“The point of doing this now is to ensure that we get the disease under control,” Dowden told the BBC on Monday. “If we don’t take this reasonable, measured and proportionate action now, we will need to take more difficult action further down the line.”
The announcement comes as the U.K. grapples with a resurgence in the virus which has seen record daily cases. Some 17 million people are already subject to tighter curbs, including bans on household mixing, with further restrictions likely this week.
‘Critical Juncture’
“This is a critical juncture,” a spokesperson for Johnson’s office said. “Our primary focus has always been to protect lives and livelihoods while controlling the spread of the virus, and these measures will help achieve that aim.”
After being criticized for a lack of outreach to mayors and councils, Johnson’s office stressed the latest measures had been discussed with local leaders this weekend, with the prime minister speaking directly to Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, which alongside other parts of the north, may be hit by some of the harshest measures.
Rules there, which could include closing some hospitality and leisure venues and a request to avoid travel into or out of local hotspots, will be subject to a review every four weeks, according to ITV. While infection rates in London are lower than some parts of the country, Mayor Sadiq Khan warned last week new restrictions for the capital are inevitable.
After his appearance in the Commons, Johnson will hold a televised press conference alongside Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
Economic Woes
The government on Friday laid out more support for workers in areas hit by local lockdowns, with Sunak pledging to pay two-thirds of the wages of employees in companies forced to close. Economists say that move will only help limit an expected surge in unemployment this winter, amid fears new restrictions will choke off an already sluggish recovery.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van Tam, who warned on Saturday the nation has reached a “tipping point” similar to the situation before the nationwide lockdown in March, will lead a public data briefing on Monday.
Death Toll
The virus has already killed more than 42,000 people in Britain, and health officials are fearful of another serious wave this winter. A poll from Ipsos MORI on Sunday showed the public largely supports new restrictions, with seven in 10 people backing local lockdowns in areas where cases of coronavirus are on the rise.
Johnson’s approach to stopping the virus has come under fire since the pandemic began. Critics say the U.K. was too slow to impose a strict lockdown in March, while the nation’s testing and contact-tracing efforts have been beset by delays and data errors.
More recently, local leaders have criticized the government over lack of communication and consultation. Discontent among Tory lawmakers has also grown, with many raising fears over the impact of restrictions on people’s civil liberties and called for more parliamentary scrutiny over the measures.
In other developments:
- Dowden said more than 1,300 museums, theaters and other arts organizations will receive a share of 257 million pounds, in the biggest tranche of spending so far from the government’s 1.57 billion-pound Culture Recovery Fund
- The Covid Recovery Commission, headed by Tesco Chairman John Allan, published a report showing the virus is widening inequalities in the U.K.’s most deprived neighborhoods
- The Sunday Times reported local mayors will get more control over the coronavirus test-and-trace system, empowering town hall leaders to deploy volunteers to go door-to-door asking people to self-isolate
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