Let’s not blow it, Johnson urges ahead of lockdown easing in England
BORIS JOHNSON has urged the public not to “blow” the progress made in tackling coronavirus when further lockdown restrictions in England are lifted today.
The Prime Minister said he hoped the reopening of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers in England would allow people to enjoy themselves, but in a “safe way”.
Mr Johnson said the UK Government was making “progress” in reducing the incidence of Covid-19 in England, but faced questions on why pubs were being opened today, which typically sees a higher rate of alcohol-related issues for police and the NHS.
In an interview with LBC Radio, the PM was asked whether he only “hoped” it would be safe. He said: “It’s not on hope, it’s based on a clear understanding of the statistical risks that we now face as a country.
“We’ve progressed thanks to the efforts of the British people from an incidence of the disease at about one in 400 a few weeks ago to maybe one in 2,200 today.
“You’re appreciably less likely now to be in close proximity to someone who has it than you were even a couple of weeks ago.
“We’re making progress, we aimed for July 4, we wanted to set ourselves a target, we think we’re in good shape but my message is let’s not blow it.”
Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds backed the return to pubs as a boost for the economy, as she called on the UK Government to adopt a “targeted strategy” in extending the furlough scheme to avoid a “flood of redundancy notices”.
“I have two small children, I have to say maintaining social-distancing at the best of times is a bit of a challenge,” she said when asked if she would be going for a drink.
“I hope, however, people will be going out to make use of those new opportunities to support local businesses but of course we all need to make sure and I very much include myself in that, that we are following those guidelines at all times.”
Number 10 said pubs will be allowed to open at 6am today. It is understood to have been delayed to avoid people drinking just after midnight last night.
But a stark warning of the danger pubs present in spreading coronavirus was issued by the top scientists advising the Government on the eve of their reopening in England.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the coronavirus pandemic “is a long way from gone” as he urged the public to follow social-distancing rules when the lockdown is eased today.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, also warned yof the danger of “superspreading” of Covid-19 occurring in pubs.
Stood between them at yesterday’s Downing Street press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the public to “enjoy summer safely” so the ailing economy can be boosted without causing the virus to spread uncontrollably.
Prof Whitty added: “None of us believe, and I’m sure nobody watching this believes, this is a risk-free next step. It is absolutely not, that is why we have to be really serious about it.
“There’s no doubt these are environments whose principal job it is to bring people together, that’s a great thing to do socially but it’s also a great thing from the virus’s point of view.
“And therefore we do have to have a really clear and really disciplined approach to try and maintain social distancing whilst also enjoying pubs.”
Prof Whitty added that “there is no perfect, exact way” of easing lockdown as he discussed the balancing act being undertaken, adding: “We are going to have health problems, and economic problems, for sure.”
He applied the pressure on the public and business owners to follow the restrictions, adding that if they “do not take them seriously, the possibility of a second wave goes up sharply”.
Mr Johnson said he did not want to return to a national closure of all pubs, preferring to take more targeted measures now, but said he would “retain all measures in reserve”.
He said local lockdowns like the one imposed on Leicester would remain a “feature of our lives for some time to come”.
In other developments:
■ The number of deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK has passed 55,000, according to the latest available data.
■ Mr Johnson said gyms would be able to reopen in England in a “couple of weeks”, and vowed to try to get theatres going “as fast as we possibly can”.
■ The Prime Minister urged people to wear face coverings when in confined spaces with people they do not normally see, revealing he has one with a Florence Nightingale pattern.
■ The Office for National Statistics said almost 20,000 care home residents have died with coronavirus up to June 12.
Mr Johnson said there had been “far too many lives lost in care homes” and that the Government would “go over and look at” whether an earlier lockdown could have prevented some deaths.
He disputed claims that people were pushed into care homes from the NHS to make space in hospitals, saying that numbers of people going into care homes fell by 40% from January to March.
“What we certainly wanted to do to was to ensure we had the space in the NHS, that’s absolutely right, but what I’m told is every decision to move people out of the beds in the NHS was taken on a clinical basis and not in any way intended to endanger the care homes,” he said.
“Whether an earlier lockdown would have made the crucial difference is something that really we will have to go over and look at.”