What new powers will the PM have under emergency virus legislation?

Boris Johnson will today ask MPs to grant him a raft of emergency powers to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

In an unprecedented piece of peacetime legislation, the state will be granted the ability to arrest and isolate people to protect public health, take control of burials and close borders if ministers deem necessary.

The Coronavirus Bill will be timelimited for two years and Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the powers “will only be used when it is absolutely necessary”.

Human rights group Liberty have raised concerns about the scope of the Bill. Liberty director Martha Spurrier said: “In times of national upheaval, it’s essential we remain vigilant to any watering down of rights or overbearing restrictions on civil liberties.” Some key elements of the Bill:

● Healthcare

Local authorities will be able to prioritise the services they offer in order to ensure the most urgent and serious care needs are met.

Recently retired doctors and nurses and medical students who are near the end of training will be asked to help.

● Domestic life

The government will be able to restrict or prohibit events during the pandemic in any place, vehicle, train, vessel or aircraft and, where necessary, to close premises.

The Bill will enable the police and immigration officers to detain a person, for a limited period, who is, or may be, infectious and to take them to a suitable place to enable screening.

● Funerals

If the scientific advice indicates that the number of people who might die from Covid-19 is likely to significantly exceed the capacity locally to manage the deceased and other contingency measures have been deployed, local government will have the ability to take control of components of the death management process in their area.

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It’s essential we remain vigilant to any watering down of rights.

MARTHA SPURRIER, DIRECTOR OF LIBERTY