‘Tis the season to be jolly careful’
Prime Minister announces return to tier system until end of March and mass vaccination
BORIS JOHNSON warned last night that Britain was entering “the season to be jolly careful” as he announced new coronavirus restrictions that will last until the end of March.
On the day that Oxford University announced successful trials of its vaccine, the Prime Minister revealed details for a revised regional three-tier system that will come into force on Dec 2.
Under the new scheme, pubs and restaurants in Tier 3 will only be allowed to serve takeaways, while in Tier 2 they will only be able to serve alcohol with a meal, prompting warnings of “dire” consequences for the hospitality industry.
However, all shops will be able to reopen in every tier. Amateur sport and children’s activities will also be allowed to resume, with crowds of up to 4,000 allowed in sports stadiums. Hairdressers, gyms and beauty salons will also be excluded from the new regulations.
Next week will also herald the return of the “rule of six”, which allows people to socialise with up to five other people in England.
Despite a month of lockdown, more than half the country is expected to be put into the higher tiers.
The details of which area will be in which tier will be announced on Thursday. Calls are growing for London to be put in the lowest level.
The announcement of successful trials of the Oxford vaccine means a mass inoculation programme could commence next month, and Mr Johnson said that “with a favourable wind”, the vast majority of people who need protection would get the jabs by Easter, which would “make the whole concept of a Covid lockdown redundant”.
He told a Downing Street press conference – via video link as he continues to self-isolate – that there was no shortage of hope, but “the challenge now as we face this difficult winter ahead is to fight down any over- optimism, any tendency to premature celebration of success”.
Mr Johnson said: “We can hear the drumming hooves of the cavalry coming over the brow of the hill but they are not here yet.” He said it would be “months before we can be sure that we have inoculated everyone that needs a vaccine and those months will be hard, they will be cold, they include January and February when the NHS is under its greatest pressure and that is why when we come out of lockdown next week, we must not just throw away the gains we have all made”.
The Prime Minister confirmed that there would be a relaxation of the rules over Christmas but there would be no festive “truce” from the virus and he asked people to make a “careful judgment” about the risk of visiting elderly relatives.
He said: “It is the season to be jolly, but it’s also the season to be jolly careful.”
Prof Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, said that if people went “wild” over Christmas, it would be “socially and economically damaging”, as he urged the country to “take the opportunities but take them incredibly responsibly”.
Mr Johnson said to get through the winter the tiers that will replace the current lockdown “need to be made tougher”. He said: “I am sorry to say we expect that more regions will fall – at least temporarily – into higher levels than before.”
It means the North West, the North East, Nottingham and parts of Yorkshire and the Midlands can expect to be placed into the top tier. The tiers will be reviewed every fortnight, although ministers cautioned against changing the rules too quickly.
Mr Johnson came under intense pressure last night to reserve top tier restrictions for only the very worst affected areas as MPS complained of a “lockdown by stealth”.
It emerged yesterday that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies had recommended even tougher measures via a new Tier 4, but that their advice was rejected by ministers.
MPS will be asked to vote through legislation next week that will keep the tiers in place until the end of March, and up to 70 Tory backbenchers from the Covid Recovery Group are expected to vote against the Government. Mark Harper, the group’s chairman and a former chief whip, said: “I think if you go into Tier 3, you’ll struggle to tell much of a difference from the lockdown.”
The group has demanded to see evidence that the new measures will “save more lives than they cost” before they consider backing them, but ministers have refused to give them any data.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the
15,450 DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES
-23% CHANGE IN 7-DAY AVERAGE
55,230 DEATHS + 206
economic consequences of a tighter tier system would be “dire”. He said: “This is supposed to be the busiest period of the year for shops and the hospitality sector, and many pubs and restaurants will not even be able to open. This is going to be a very bleak winter.”
Hospitality bosses warned that tens of thousands of premises could be forced to close, with a million jobs on the line.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body Ukhospitality, said: “They are killing Christmas and beyond for many businesses and their customers. Sadly, for many staff, it will be a Christmas out of work.”
Yesterday’s announcement means that by the time the new restrictions expire, Britain will have been subject to Covid measures for more than a year.
The Government’s 56-page Covid-19 Winter Plan states that the whole of England will be placed into one of the three tiers from Wednesday next week, with a review every fortnight.
Standardised rules will apply to each tier, meaning there will be no repeat of the wrangling with local leaders that delayed tiers being applied in October.
There was good news for sports fans, with crowds of up to 4,000 allowed at some outdoor venues from next week and 1,000 people at indoor events. Gyms and swimming pools will reopen.
The new rules mean a victory for two Telegraph campaigns. Ministers have responded to the Keep Kids Active campaign by confirming that children’s sports will return in all three tiers. The reopening of salons in all three tiers came after pressure from The Telegraph’s “Why Can’t I Work?” campaign.
Yesterday the UK recorded 15,450 new cases of the virus, the lowest daily total for six weeks, as the seven-day total fell by 23 per cent compared with a week ago. Another 206 deaths were recorded.
Mr Johnson said: “For the first time since this wretched virus took hold, we can see a route out of the pandemic. The breakthroughs in treatment, in testing and vaccines mean that the scientific cavalry is now in sight and we know in our hearts that next year we will succeed.”
Mr Johnson said that by the end of the year a roll-out of mass testing would mean a faster route out of Tier 3 for the worst-hit regions. The Government’s winter strategy is backed by an additional £7 billion for NHS Test and Trace to support increased testing, taking the overall funding for test and trace this financial year to £22 billion.
The Prime Minister hinted at a new freedom pass for people who test negative.
He said vaccines would not be mandatory when they arrive, and added: “This will be still a hard winter, Christmas cannot be normal, and there is a long road to spring. But we have turned a corner and the escape route is in sight.
“We must hold out against the virus until testing and vaccines come to our rescue, and reduce the need for restrictions.”