UK gearing up for localised lockdowns in event of spikes

THE UK is planning for localised lockdowns which would see residents banned from leaving the towns or cities they live in as part of efforts to tackle local Covid-19 outbreaks.

Ministers in Britain have drawn up radical plans to impose strict travel restrictions that would seal off affected areas from the rest of the country if significant spikes in infections are observed.

Individual towns or even entire regions could become no-go zones with a ban on people entering or leaving. The proposals are part of the UK government’s ‘Contain’ strategy, as it attempts to use targeted local measures to prevent the need for another nationwide lockdown.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said yesterday: ‘Our focus is on locating and dealing with outbreaks at a very localised level. We want to identify potential outbreaks at the earliest possible moment and then take action to deal with them.’

A list of options has been drawn up to tackle local flare-ups.

They follow the decision last week to ban people from different households meeting indoors in Greater Manchester, as well as parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

Restrictions on movement could include requiring everyone in an area to ‘stay at home’, banning overnight stays or ‘restrictions on entering or leaving a defined area’.

Transport systems could either be closed down entirely or new restrictions could be introduced – such as capping the number of passengers or limiting how far they can travel.

Services could also be reserved for the use of health staff. Downing Street yesterday denied the plans had been specifically drawn up for London, following reports the M25 could be used to seal off the capital.