Government statistics have emphasized that the plans are being pushed to end the country’s complete closure, as seen in the spring.
Boris Johnson is contemplating the introduction of new national borders – perhaps just next week – when the prime minister rushes to try to find a handle on the spread of coronavirus.
With COVID-19 cases now recurring every seven to eight days, the government intends to introduce nationwide measures in the short term to try to “slow down” the virus and slow the spread of the disease.
Government statistics have emphasized that the plans are being pushed to end the country’s total closure, as seen in the spring, when the country is told to “stay home”.
Proposals for such “regional leave” could see significant travel to schools and workplaces continue, but restaurants and bars would be closed – or perhaps operated on restricted hours – and different families would be asked not to meet.
Limits may be set for two weeks, but the time and duration of the steps have yet to be finalized.
It comes with fears that the number of daily coronavirus cases could hit the figures seen in March and April if in a few weeks the government does not take drastic measures now and “reduce” the disease.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s top science adviser, warned the prime minister at a meeting on Wednesday evening that the disease was recurring every seven to eight days.
It is understandable that they have warned the UK now that it has about six weeks left behind France and Spain and is in danger of seeing a dramatic increase in cases by mid-October if the virus remains uncontrolled. Matt Hancock, health secretary, on Friday told that the national ban was “the last resort for protection”.
ID Downing Street is reluctant to take such steps back, knowing full well how much damage it can do to the economy and public health in the long run.
“The prime minister is in a very difficult situation because everything is up to him,” the prime minister said this week.
“The Prime Minister’s feeling is that he should control the virus, because if there is a nail, it falls on his shoulders. I feel sorry for him.”
The Prime Minister also met with Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Business Secretary Alok Sharma on Thursday morning to discuss the economic situation, amid concerns from the government over rising unemployment when the downturn program began in October.
The Treasury Department, along with many supporters of Mr Johnson and others in his Cabinet, are of the view that the country cannot go back to full closure and must use all other means to avoid such a situation.
Coronavirus cases grew across the UK with another 3,395 reliable infections and 21 deaths on Thursday.
According to the Financial Times, experts from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergency (SAGE) and the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modeling (SPI-M) have called for a national shutdown.
This could coincide with the school half of October to reduce the impact on children’s education, the newspaper reported.
Asked about the Financial Times report, Mr Hancock told Kay Burley: “The last line of defense is a full national action and I don’t want to see that but we will do whatever it takes to keep people safe in the most difficult situation. The epidemic.
” He added: “It’s not something we’ve ever removed from the table but it’s not something we also want to see, it’s a last resort.” On Thursday, local restrictions were introduced in northeastern England, meaning that more than 10 million people across the UK are now in other areas. New limits covering the entire Lancashire, with the exception of two-thirds of the Blackpool beach resort, are expected to be announced on Friday.
Mr Hancock confirmed that the government would “make further announcements” on the action taken in certain areas later in the day. “We need to know that the number of cases is rising and we need to take action because we know, especially from a different perspective, what is leading to the hospitalization of some hospitals and the tragic death of many people,” he said.
“And that’s what we want to reduce and we want to protect people’s lives at the same time.” Pressured by how close the UK might be to the second national closure, the health secretary replied: “Sometimes we cannot say for sure what the future holds for us because we are in crisis.
“But I would give this hope, that is, if everyone follows the sixth law, if everyone follows isolation if they are tested for the virus or if they are very close to the person who found out they are infected, and if everyone in local locks follows the rules around, then we can control this virus together. “But only the world is pulling together.
” Mr Hancock pointed to the Belgian example as giving “UK hope” to the UK, adding: “They had a second start, exactly like what we saw a few weeks ago here, then they took action and then it went down. “It is because the country, too, has come together to fight the virus. “In Belgium, for example, they introduced the fifth law, we introduced the sixth law.”
Responding to the news the government is considering whether further national restrictions could be made, Labor Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said “it clearly shows that there is a great deal of concern in government that we could be on a deadly second term”.
“What disappointed me the most was that, in recent months, we have told the government that unless you fix the screening process, unless you enter contact details and provide people with support so that they can differentiate themselves properly, you are at risk of seeing an increase in infections”.