Goodbye ‘stay at home’ – the message now is to ‘take care’
As the PM prepares to set out his agenda for how we exit the lockdown, the public waits to learn what it can – and cannot – do next week
THE Government is to drop its “stay home” slogan to encourage the public to adopt a “new normal” now coronavirus has passed its peak in the UK.
As Boris Johnson prepares to lay out his strategy for phase two of the lockdown on Sunday, all indications point to a gradual easing of restrictions. Yesterday, the Prime Minister said he hoped to “get going on some of these measures on Monday”.
The Government’s next actions will be based on predictions supplied by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), on how much the rate of infection – or reproduction (R) value – may increase under different scenarios. The R value is thought to be 0.7, but it must remain consistently below one to avoid a second peak.
It is thought the measures will be eased step by step, to allow the effects of each to be monitored until experts are satisfied another change can be made.
“The messaging will evolve from ‘stay at home’ to ‘be careful when you’re out’,” said one Cabinet minister.
“There will be a cautious easing of some restrictions and an outline of the route back to something closer to normality, rather than everything suddenly going back to normal.”
Work
Office-based employees who can continue to work from home will be advised to do so. Employers are expected to be told to implement staggered arrival and departure times for those who have critical roles in business or who cannot work from home. Workers will be advised to use stairs rather than lifts.
Mr Johnson recommended employees avoid public transport if possible and cycle to work. It will be recommended that offices are recalibrated to allow social distancing, with screens and barriers erected to protect people.
Meetings will be expected to take place remotely where possible, and employers will be urged to provide hand sanitiser and ventilate buildings.
Many outdoor jobs have continued, but the Government is said to be keen to encourage those back to work “who never should have stayed at home in the first place”, according to one Cabinet minister. “In engineering, car manufacturing, textiles and construction, where social distancing can be implemented, then workers will be encouraged back to the factory floor.”
Schools
Despite Downing Street confirming a report in The Sunday Telegraph that primary schools will start reopening from June 1, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, warned that they may not reopen until September, insisting it was too early to consider such a move.
It came after Prof Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said there was “no doubt” reopening schools would increase the R value, despite pupils returning to class in countries like Denmark and Switzerland.
A source close to Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, said: “It wouldn’t be wise for everyone to go back on the same day. We are looking at a phased return.” It is thought Year 10 and Year 12 pupils could be the first to return to secondary schools, as they have GCSES and A-levels next year.
A poll yesterday found the majority of parents would not send their children back to school as soon as they reopened. The survey conducted by the online parenting forum Mumsnet found that 57 per cent would prefer to keep their children at home initially, even when they were allowed back in the classroom. Just one in five parents (22 per cent) believed schools should reopen now. At last night’s Downing Street press conference, Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, would only say phased reopening of schools will happen “when the time is right”.
Social bubbles
Britons could be allowed to reunite with loved ones using “bubble” arrangements that would see people choose a small number of friends and family with whom to mix.
The emphasis will be on meeting outdoors, with strict orders not to mix with anyone else. People could also be allowed to leave their homes more often and for longer periods.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, who is involved in UK decision-making through her seat at Cobra, has suggested people could be allowed to “meet with a small defined group” of other people in a “sort of bubble arrangement”. Although the Government’s preference is to “move as one” as the UK starts to ease restrictions, Mr Jenrick warned it may make “smaller interventions” in regional hot spots if there is a surge in cases.
Face masks
Mr Johnson is expected to issue guidance on face coverings after a survey by the rail and road watchdog Transport Focus found that 51 per cent of commuters would not be happy using trains and buses unless the Government mandated the use of face masks.
In a poll of 2,000 passengers carried out earlier this month, 83 per cent said they also wanted hand sanitiser on transport as well as at railway stations and bus stops, and 62 per cent said they would not use public transport without effective social distancing measures.
Meanwhile, only 24 per cent said they would be happy to start travelling again as soon as lockdown restrictions were eased, with 40 per cent saying they still expected to work from home.
It came after Mr Johnson last week said face coverings “will be useful, both for epidemiological reasons and also for giving people confidence that they can go back to work”.
Earlier this week, findings were submitted to Sage by a subgroup of the Royal Society claiming that face cover- ings could be at least half as effective as
surgical masks and the public should be encouraged to wear them at work, on public transport and in shops.
Testing
During yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson said the Government’s “ambition” was to hit 200,000 tests “by the end of this month – and then go even higher”.
It came after the Government announced it had hit its target of 100,000 tests on Friday, but that number has since fallen back.
Mr Johnson said “capacity currently exceeds demand” and steps were being taken to address that.
The NHS “track and trace” app, currently being piloted on the Isle of Wight, will be rolled out nationwide in the coming weeks.
Entertainment venues
Pubs and clubs are expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future, although further advice is expected on the provision of takeaway services.
Some cafes have already begun to reopen while implementing social distancing measures.
The Mcdonald’s restaurant chain has announced it will reopen 15 of its restaurants in the UK, offering delivery services, from May 13.
It seems unlikely that hotels will reopen while the emphasis remains on “essential” travel.
Retail
Although there have been multiple reports about non-essential shops such as gardening centres reopening, Mr Johnson is not expected to change the rules on other retail outlets yet, although chains like B&Q have already reopened some stores.
Those already open have taken measures including introducing Plexiglas screens at tills and limiting numbers in store and in socially distanced warehousing operations.
The British Retail Consortium has submitted a report to the Government recommending that if non-essential shops reopen, changing rooms should stay closed and in-store seating and services such as advice, personal shopping or nail bars should be limited.
Places of worship
Mr Jenrick said it was still too early to resume religious services. “We are in conversation with faith leaders to consider how, when the time is right, they will be able to recommence services in churches, mosques and synagogues. But that moment is not now,” he said.
Over-70s
The Daily Telegraph understands the advice for over-70s is going to “morph” amid claims it is discriminatory.
At the moment, all over-70s classed as “clinically vulnerable” of their health (while 1.5million people with pre existing health conditions are regarded as “extremely clinically vulnerable” and have been told to shield for 12 weeks).
A Cabinet minister said the advice was not expected to get stricter follow- ing reports that pensioners were to be told to adhere to stringent social distancing rules until a vaccine was found.
Exercise
Although Mr Johnson is expected to announce people can exercise as they like, gyms and playgrounds are expected to remain closed.
Tory MPS have been calling for temperature testing at gyms and leisure centres, but a senior source said: “Where people use the same equipment, you get into tricky points.”
Instead, the emphasis will be placed on easing restrictions outdoors following evidence that there is less likelihood of transmission of the disease in the open air than indoors.
Police
The enforcement message will flip from telling people what they can do to advising them what they cannot. A Home Office source said: “We had been talking about telling people what they can do, but we want it to change to talking about what they can’t. Policing by consent is much easier when people know what they can’t do.”