Johnson to tell the nation: Get ready to go back to work
BORIS Johnson is to tell Britain to prepare to return to work after giving business groups the first sight of new guidelines on how to get employees safely back into offices.
In a prime-time TV broadcast next Sunday evening, the Prime Minister will set out a timeline for when workplaces and schools will reopen.
More shops, factories, warehouses and construction sites are expected to be told they can reopen following the spring bank holiday on May 25.
Mr Johnson will also unveil the
UK Government’s new slogan for the next phase of its battle against coronavirus, which will replace its ‘stay at home’ message.
Downing Street has chosen the Sunday evening slot for him in a bid to maximise the number of viewers. Yesterday business organisations including the British Chambers of Commerce and the CBI were given sight of the guidance the Government is planning to give firms on starting to lift the lockdown. It was also shown to trade unions.
It is understood to include advice to stagger employee start times and reconfigure working spaces so staff are a safe distance apart.
It also encourages firms to let as many as possible carry on working from home.
Westminster Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said yesterday that the Government wanted to avoid a return of the rush hour. Hand sanitiser will be offered on public transport, and queuing systems will be introduced on rail platforms.
Ministers will meet on Thursday to review the lockdown – which will have been in place for more than six weeks – before the PM gives details in his weekend broadcast of how it will be gradually lifted.
Restrictions are also likely to be relaxed to allow Britons to enjoy more outdoor activities, such as picnics, provided they are only with members of their household. Pubs and restaurants are unlikely to be allowed to open for some time.
The Government will finalise its plans after receiving the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, which is conducting a study with up to 300,000 people to see how far the virus has spread.
At the Downing Street press conference last night, Michael
Gove insisted that the easing of restrictions would be done in a ‘cautious fashion’ but warned the public would have to live with ‘some degree of constraint’ until a vaccine was developed.
Yesterday, a poll by Opinium for The Observer showed that fewer than one in five (17 per cent) of the public believe the time is right to consider reopening schools, restaurants, pubs and stadiums.