U.K.’s Johnson Threatens to Force Manchester Into Lockdown

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned he will have no choice but to impose the toughest level of pandemic restrictions on Manchester, northwest England, unless the city’s mayor backs down and agrees to new curbs.

Speaking on Friday, Johnson said he is holding out against returning to the “bad old days” of a full national lockdown, though would not rule out taking such a step if necessary.

He is trying instead to target measures at local hot spots, but has been in an escalating stand-off with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is refusing to allow his city to be put into lockdown despite figures showing the pandemic is spreading out of control.

Burnham accused ministers of failing to provide enough financial help for business that will be hit by virus restrictions, but Johnson urged him to reconsider and engage constructively with the government in London.

‘Grave’

“The situation in Manchester is grave and worsens with each passing day,” Johnson told a televised press conference from his Downing Street offices. “If agreement cannot be reached, I will need to intervene in order to protect Manchester’s hospitals and save the lives of its residents.”

The government’s own scientific advisers have said Johnson’s three-tier system of virus restrictions won’t be enough to control the pandemic, and some of them have called publicly for a short “circuit breaker” national lockdown.

Patrick Vallance, the premier’s chief scientific adviser, confirmed his team proposed such action in September, marking a rift between politicians and scientists.

On Friday, Vallance pointed to estimates that new cases of coronavirus may be running as high as 74,000 per day in England. “We’re not where we need to be” on the transmission rate, he said.

But Johnson said he wants to stick with his local approach -- for now.

“My judgment is that it’s better to go for that route now than to go back to the bad old days, the most difficult period of closing our schools again,” Johnson said. “If at all possible I want to avoid another national lockdown.”

When challenged, the premier said he would be ready to act to impose tougher measures “as soon as we think that they are necessary,” adding: “I rule nothing out.”

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