Lockdown continues into holiday weekend
DOMINIC Raab has declared that there is to be no change in lockdown rules ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
The Foreign Secretary told the latest Downing Street press conference that while the rate of infection for Covid-19 – known as the R value – is ‘steadily falling’ to between 0.5 and 0.9, he made it clear that the virus is ‘not beaten yet.’
He said that although we have passed the peak of coronavirus due to ‘monumental effort’ from British people, he warned it ‘remains deadly and infectious.’
A further 44 people died in Greater Manchester’s hospitals yesterday after contracting the virus.
Stepping Hill Hospital recorded a sharp rise, with 29 more Covid-19 deaths recorded in 24 hours.
The total number of coronavirus deaths in our region’s hospitals now stands at 1,483.
Hundreds more have died at care homes and in their own homes across the region, meaning the overall number of lives lost is likely to be much higher.
The government’s second threeweek phase of lockdown ended yesterday. Mr Raab said there would be ‘no change’ in the rules during the weekend before Boris Johnson will use an address on Sunday to set out the ‘roadmap’ to easing the lockdown.
This means that for the bank holiday, which this year is today, the government’s stay at home message and social distancing measures are still in place.
The Department of Health confirmed that a total of 30,615 people have now died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus.
The death toll was up by 539 yesterday from 30,076 on Wednesday.
The total number of confirmed cases is now up to 206,715 - a rise of 5,614.
Mr Raab said: “This weekend the Prime Minister will set out the next steps which we can responsibly take over the following weeks, guided by the scientific advice and mindful – as we said right from the word go – of taking the right decisions at the right time.
“Now we can start setting out how we will live and work whilst maintaining the necessary social distancing rules. We can also be clear about those measures which are still necessary to prevent a second peak.”
Mr Raab added: “Any changes that we make will be carefully monitored, if people don’t follow the rules or if we see that the R level goes back up, we will tighten the restrictions again.”