The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Johnson ‘orders preparations to avoid second lockdown’
Boris Johnson has ordered officials to work on a plan for avoiding a second national lockdown, according to reports.
The prime minister is considering asking the elderly to shield once again and is mulling lockdown-like conditions for London should there be a second wave of coronavirus infections, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times said.
The claims come after Mr Johnson was forced to announce a slowdown of the lockdown easing on Friday, with planned relaxations for the leisure and beauty sectors delayed after a rise in Covid-19 cases was recorded, with prevalence in the community thought to be rising for the first time since May.
The Times reported the PM held a “war game” session with Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday to run through options for averting another nationwide lockdown that could stall any potential economic recovery.
Under the proposals, a greater number of people would be asked to take part in the shielding programme, based on their age or particular risk factors that have been identified since March, said the Telegraph.
It could even see those aged between 50 and 70 given “personalised risk ratings”, said the Times, in a move that would add to the 2.2 million who were asked to shield themselves from society during the spring peak.
The advice was only lifted on Saturday for those in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and remains in place until August 16 for those shielding in Wales.
Other ideas mooted should the R-rate escalate in the capital include restricting travel beyond the M25 and putting a stop to staying at other people’s houses – similar to policies implemented in local lockdowns imposed in Leicester and parts of the north-west of England in recent days.
But Downing Street sources distanced themselves from the detail in the reports, calling them “speculative”.
Meanwhile, former England midfielder Paul Scholes has been accused of holding a party at his Oldham home on the same day lockdown measures were reimposed across parts of England’s north-west.
The Sun cited phone footage as showing revellers ignoring social distancing, with the paper citing Tory MP Andrew Bridgen criticising Mr Scholes for “reckless behaviour”.
Greater Manchester Police have been approached for comment over the alleged incident.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said people in his area “on the whole” had been brilliant “and I reject efforts to blame some for breaking lockdown rules”.
On top of the alleged lockdown avoidance preparations, experts have speculated that ministers might have to order the closure of pubs, which were permitted to start serving again on July 4, if schools are to reopen fully in September.
Professor Graham Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said earlier a “trade-off” could be required if the PM’s pledge is to be met.
His comments followed chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty’s remarks that the country was “near the limit” for opening up society.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was forced to deny it had abandoned its pledge to test care home residents through the summer following a leaked memo from Professor Jane Cummings, the government’s adult social care testing director.
According to the Times, Prof Cummings wrote to local authority leaders to inform them that “previously advised timelines for rolling out regular testing in care homes” were being altered because of “unexpected delays”.
A DHSC spokeswoman confirmed there were issues with “asymptomatic retesting”. DHSC said it would not comment on leaked documents when asked about Prof Cummings’ memo.