Help for people forced to isolate
Households may be banned from socialising to halt spread Scientists fear UK is heading for 200 deaths a day in autumn
NICOLA Sturgeon has confirmed people who lose money if they have to self-isolate will be helped financially.
The First Minister confirmed the policy for Scotland after a similar announcement was unveiled south of the Border.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that people on modest means who have to self-isolate will receive £500.
UK Government sources said the scheme will result in funding being provided to the Scottish Government through the Barnett Formula.
At her briefing, Sturgeon said: “One thing I want to confirm today is that our package of measures will include plans to better support people who are being advised to self isolate.
“Self isolation is a key tool in our fight against this virus. It helps break the chains of transmission, so we must make it as possible as we can for people to abide by that advice.”
She explained: “No one should be forced to choose between self isolating for the collective good, and paying their rent and feeding their families. That’s why we will put in place a financial support package to help people who face a loss of income if they self-isolate.”
NICOLA Sturgeon will join Boris Johnson at his first Cobra meeting in four months this morning before new lockdown measures are unleashed.
The UK PM will brief his Cabinet after the meeting on the next steps, which are expected to include a ban on families mixing with other households in England.
His announcement is expected to give an indication of what to expect north of the Border after the UK’s coronavirus alert level was raised from 3 to 4. That was the first change since June.
Scientists yesterday issued a grave warning that without tough action there may be 50,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day by mid-October. By mid-November that could mean 200 deaths a day from the virus.
England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said it meant the public needed to “change course”. He said: “We have to break unnecessary links between households, because that is the way in which this virus is ztransmitted. “This means reducing social contacts, whether they are at work… and also in social environments.” More than 15million people already subjected to local lockdowns are prevented from meeting people who live in another household. In some areas, such as Birmingham, this only applies in private homes or gardens, while in others it also applies in any indoor public venues, suchh as pubsb or restaurants.
Whitty will face MPs before a televised live address at 8pm. He is expected to announce that the hospitality sector in England will be restricted to table service only by law, and ask the public to avoid using public transport unless it is necessary for school or work.
There could be tougher enforcement for pubs and restaurants where customers break the rules, and steepert finesfi forf breachingb socialdistancing laws. The measures could come into force within days.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs: “It’s important to act fast so as not to have to act bigger later”. Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “We are at a perilous moment, the exponential growth of the virus cannot be ignored. This virus takes lives.” The number of
people living under local lockdown restrictions will rise to more than 15.4million today.
But ministers announced that informal childcare, including from grandparents, would be allowed for under- 14s in England.
The PM is expected to stop short of bringing in a “circuit break” lockdown of everything but schools and workplaces, but sources suggested this remained “on the table”. Ministers want to avoid the “final defence” of a full second UK- wide lockdown because of the damage it would do to the economy. Lord Bi limoria, president of the CBI, told Times Radio: “It’s going to be really, really challenging.” Dr Bharat Pankhania, an epidemiologist from the University of Exeter, told the BBC the 10pm curfew was unlikely to reduce transmission. He said: “Come on, the virus doesn’t understand the clock.” New infections yesterday rose to 4,368. Prof Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance outlined the latest grim Covid data.
Prof Whitty said: “We should see this as a six-month problem that we have to deal with collectively, it’s not indefinite.”
Sir Patrick said there was “no doubt” that the UK was seeing a surge in cases among all age groups.
Hancock told ITV’s This Morning: “The more we can control the virus now, the easier it’s going to be to have a Christmas that’s as close to normal as possible.”
The Government has published plans for rationing Covid-19 testing, putting hospital patients at the front of the queue, with care homes and NHS staff also prioritised.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said extra restrictions would “almost certainly” be imposed in Scotland this week.
In Wales, measures coming into force in four boroughs today could be extended to the rest of the country.