PM urges caution as England prepares to go to the pub
Boris Johnson has urged the public not to “overdo it” when coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased in England tomorrow.
The Prime Minister will use a Downing Street press conference this evening ahead of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers reopening to call on people to be careful while enjoying themselves, amid concerns that a failure to observe social distancing could lead to a rise in Covid-19 cases.
But there were mixed messages from the UK Government as the Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-mogg boasted to MPS that he had ordered a yard glass to drink ale from in his local pub on Saturday, and the Treasury had to delete a tweet urging people to have a drink.
The tweet from its official account on Wednesday evening urging people to “grab a drink and raise a glass, pubs are reopening their doors from 4 July”.
The department was accused of sending “the most tone-deaf tweet in history” by journalist Piers Morgan, who said: “65k people dead, the economy catering, millions facing unemployment ... and the Treasury wants us all to go out on the piss & celebrate.”
A Treasury source said: “We got it wrong on this and the tweet was quickly removed.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said yesterday that Mr Johnson “does want to see people able to go out and to enjoy themselves, but he is also very clear that everybody needs to be careful, stay alert and to follow the guidance.
“The guidance is there to keep everybody safe and to control the spread of the virus, and it is hugely important that everybody follows the advice and makes sure that they don’t overdo it.”
Asked if Mr Johnson would be visiting a pub or restaurant on Saturday, the spokesman said: “He’s talked about his enthusiasm for a haircut and pint previously but I don’t know exactly what he’s doing on Saturday yet.”
The spokesman added that it would be “plain for all to see next week what he’s been doing at the weekend” when people see his hair on Monday.
Meanwhile, an infectious diseases expert has expressed concern about the reopening of pubs and restaurants in England, as mixing indoors is “much more risky” than doing so outside.
Professor John Edmunds, who attends meetings of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said that it was a “major change”.
Appearing on ITV’S Peston programme on Wednesday night, Prof Edmunds was asked if he felt “anxious” about lockdown restrictions easing.
“Well on the one hand I want to go to the pub, it has been quite a tough few months. But epidemiologically yes, unfortunately, I am,” he said. “I think what’s coming now is quite a major change. Mixing indoors is much more risky than mixing outside.”
A poll conducted by JL Partners for the Peston programme found almost half (48 per cent) of 2,000 adults surveyed expect a second spike in winter, leading to another nationwide lockdown.
Asked if the British public were right to be “pessimistic”, Prof Edmunds said: “Yes, probably, I’m sorry to say. I don’t want to be too gloomy but they’re probably right.” have a duty as a Scottish Government to assess proposals and come to a view on them, and we’re finding it difficult to do that because they are changing in the way that I’ve just described.”
Ms Sturgeon said other devolved administrations have concerns about the UK Government’s proposals. Wales’ minister for international relations, Eluned Morgan, said Welsh Government ministers would “continue to review” the list of countries presented to them.
Scotland’s Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf also hit back at Mr Shapps’ comments and claimed the UK Government had repeatedly redrawn the list of countries under consideration without consulting the devolved administrations.
“We have sought, as far as possible, a four-nations approach to this issue, but such a policy requires meaningful consultation by the UK Government - something which has so far been lacking,” he said.
It is understood Scottish ministers want the lifting of quarantine, which is expected to apply from Monday, to coincide with the opening of hospitality and tourism in Scotland on 15 July.
There are also concerns about countries where the spread of coronavirus puts them in the moderate category of risk according to a new traffic light rating being exempted from quarantine.
The latest row follows angry words exchanged between Boris Johnson and the First Minister over Ms Sturgeon’s warning that quarantine could be imposed on visitors to Scotland from the rest of the UK, if other nations continue to have a higher level of infection.
Mr Johnson called the First Minister’s comments “highly irresponsible” and insisted: “There is no such thing as a border between Scotland and England.”
Commons Leader Jacob Rees-mogg stepped up the rhetoric yesterday, claiming the First Minister wants to “build a wall” between Scotland and England.
“One never thought that Nicola Sturgeon would model herself on American political figures and want to build a wall – at least a metaphorical wall if not actually getting like Hadrian with the bricks and mortar,” he told MPS.
At the briefing in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon added: “I think the UK Government should spend less time trying to misrepresent and politicise these difficult issues that we are dealing with right now.”