Cabinet discussed total lockdown for the whole country

BORIS Johnson’s Cabinet discussed plunging the whole of England into Tier 4 when it met on Saturday, The Chronicle has learnt.

Ministers eventually decided to bring London and much of the south east into Tier 4, with residents issued a blanket “stay at home” order unless they have a good reason to go outside.

But there was a lengthy debate about whether the whole country should go into Tier 4 immediately, which would mean the tougher measures were in place for Christmas. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, led calls for Tier 4 to be imposed nationwide.

Opposition to the proposal was led by Chief Whip Mark Spencer and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

After the meeting, one Cabinet Minister was heard joking: “Just because Michael’s family don’t want to see him doesn’t mean he should be able to stop us seeing ours.”

In a press conference on Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new strain of Covid, which is more transmissible than previous kinds, was thought to be behind surging infection rates in the South East of England and imposed a tougher tier of measures on London and surrounding areas.

North East health bosses have warned the new strain of Covid-19 is “very likely” to have reached our region already. Advice was issued by the public health directors for County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland – Amanda Healy, Alice Wiseman, Eugene Milne, Liz Morgan, Wendy Burke, Tom Hall, and Gerry Taylor.

They said: “This weekend has seen our focus move to a new strain of coronavirus which is being transmitted at an even faster rate than the original Covid-19 disease and we ask everyone to be extra careful over social distancing, social contacts and general hygiene over the festive period.

“While there is no clear evidence the new strain is yet spreading in the North East as it is in Kent and the South East, it is very likely already to be present.”

Under Tier 4 rules, non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas, hairdressers and bowling alleys are forced to close – while people will be restricted to meeting one other person from another household in an outdoor public space.

The rest of England saw the Christmas “bubble” policy – allowing up to three household to meet up over the holiday period – severely curtailed, applying on Christmas Day only.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson