Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
YOU STAY IN.. ..WE PAY OUT
» Pubs & gyms all have to close » Colossal cash aid for workers
AS pubs were forced to close last night, the Chancellor revealed a gargantuan spending plan to help workers.
Premier Boris Johnson said they would act “in a way government never has done before”, while the TUC called it a “breakthrough”.
THE pub industry ground to a halt last night as Boris Johnson finally ordered boozers to close in the war on coronavirus.
He made the move experts had long been calling for after revellers refused to stop going out drinking and the death rate from the worsening outbreak soared by 33 to 177.
The PM also told clubs, cafes, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, bookies and gyms to shut their doors.
But with many struggling businesses facing financial ruin over the tough move, Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled an unprecedented measures to pay the wages of workers who would otherwise lose their jobs.
Mr Johnson said: “I do accept that what we’re doing is extraordinary. We’re taking away the ancient inalienable right of freeborn people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub.
“But I say to people who do go against the advice that we’re getting clear advice from our medical and scientific experts, you know you’re not only putting your own life, the lives of your family, at risk… you’re endangering the community.
“And you’re making it more difficult for us to protect the NHS and save lives. And if you comply, if people comply as I say, then we will not only save lives, thousands of lives, but we’ll come out of this thing all the faster.
“You may be tempted to go out tonight and I say to you please don’t.
“You may think that you are invincible. But you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on.”
The PM said the measures were needed to reduce “unnecessary” social gatherings by 75% to have an impact.
The PM said pubs and restaurants could still operate as takeaways.
Halting social life in Northern Ireland will help prevent deaths, Arlene Foster reiterated.
The First Minister said: “This is for the community’s protection, it is for our elderly and we are asking everyone to come together to embrace the giant spirit and the spirit of Northern Ireland.”
A total of nine new cases of Covid-19 were revealed yesterday in Northern Ireland, the overall tally is 86 with one fatality.
Mrs Foster added social distancing and good hand hygiene was crucial. She also backed Chancellor Sunak’s pledge on wages, stating: “It is a huge package, it is a package that is unprecedented for the people of the UK.”
Owen Reidy, of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said: “This is an unprecedented action for an unprecedented crisis and will crucially maintain the employment contract of workers and ensure when this crisis in over they remain employed.”
Hospitality Ulster’s Colin Neill said: “Up until now we didn’t know what to do. Now our people can eat tonight, our owners can get a night’s sleep not worrying about their staff. “It will stop the tsunami. “Now we know our people can eat, we can sleep and get back to work tomorrow – work out what needs to be done and lock down the businesses so they’re not haemorrhaging anymore more money - we need to get our businesses into the deep freeze.”
In other developments:
■ Confirmed cases increased to 3,983 as testing was ramped up.
■ Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, North West London, declared a “critical incident” due to an overwhelming surge in Covid-19 cases.
■ Ibuprofen is being investigated amid claims it boosts the chances of complications in coronavirus patients. Paracetamol should be used.
■ Scientists at Oxford University are likely to test a coronavirus vaccine on humans as early as next month. Safety trials are due to begin in April.
■ Petrol stations, train stations and communal water drinking fountains are virus hotspots, new analysis shows.
■ The latest patients who died were
aged between 50 and 99 and had health problems.
Warning letters are being prepared for 1.4 million most at risk of being killed by coronavirus.
They include patients with cancer, cystic fibrosis, severe kidney disease and organ recipients who are on immunosuppressant drugs. Health
Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Many of these people have existing health conditions and will be very worried right now.
They’ll need specific sets of action. For instance, how do you go about still getting chemo if you have cancer while also social-distancing?”
This group will be told to go out for walks but avoid all close contact and make arrangements for people to deliver shopping.
Scientists advising the Government released analysis suggesting some lockdown measures will remain in place for the rest of the year.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies report said: “It was agreed that a policy of alternating between periods of more and less strict social-distancing measures could plausibly be effective at keeping the number of critical care cases within capacity.
“These would need to be in place for at least most of a year. Under such a policy, at least half of the year would be spent under the stricter social-distancing measures.”
Two dormant Saga cruise ships could be used as floating hospitals for coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, the Government banned 80 crucial medicines such as paracetamol from being exported by firms in the UK.
Its order stopped “parallel exporting” where companies buy medicines meant for patients here and sell them for a higher price in another country.
All medicines on the list are in high demand across Europe.
We’ll save thousands of lives, and we’ll come out of this thing all the faster
BORIS JOHNSON UNDERLINES IMPORTANCE OF SHUTDOWN