Yield not to temptation ...Raab’s lockdown plea
Lockdown restrictions are starting to yield results but there is still a way to go says Dominic Raab as deaths are still rising and the total nears 8,000.
BRITAIN is “not done yet” with the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, Dominic Raab insisted, as he urged people to “stay the course” and resist the temptation to socialise during the long Easter weekend.
The plea by the Foreign Secretary, who is standing in for Boris Johnson as he recuperates in hospital, came as the daily number of hospital deaths across the UK yesterday was 881, bringing the total to 7,978. But this number does not include the virus deaths in the community or in care homes.
The expectation is that the increasing death toll will continue for about a fortnight until the intensive care numbers improve.
At the daily Downing Street press conference, Mr Raab gave an update on the Prime Minister’s condition, saying he “continues to make positive steps” and remained in “good spirits”.
Later, as Mr Johnson prepared to spend his fifth night at St Thomas’s Hospital in Londonb, No 10 said: “The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery. He is in extremely good spirits.”
Mr Raab made clear it was still “too early” to lift the lockdown restrictions in place across the UK.
“It’s been almost three weeks and we’re starting to see the impact of the sacrifices we’ve all made. But the deaths are still rising and we haven’t yet reached the peak of the virus. So, it’s still too early to lift the measures that we put in place.
“We must stick to the plan and we must continue to be guided by the science.”
In a direct appeal to the public, the Foreign Secretary said: “Let’s not undo the gains we’ve made, let’s not waste the sacrifices so many people have made. We mustn’t give the coronavirus a second chance to kill more people and to hurt our country.
“I know it’s tough going but this is a team effort and we will only defeat this virus for good if we all stay the course. So, please stay home this bank holiday weekend for everyone’s sake.”
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, also stressed it was important to continue with the restrictions in place because they were making a “big difference”.
He said: “The message is clear... the social distancing we’re doing is breaking transmission, it’s stopping the hospital admissions, beginning to see that flattening off, still unbelievably busy but beginning to see that flatten off, it’s preventing more people going into intensive care and it will prevent deaths.”
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, pointed out the doubling of intensive care numbers had been every three days but was now slowing to six or more days.
“That has only happened because of what everybody has done in terms of staying at home and only going out for work, exercise, critical shopping and medical care,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Raab chaired a virtual meeting of Whitehall’s emergency committee Cobra, attended by, among others, Nicola Sturgeon and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. It discussed scientific and medical data relating to the lockdown. A formal update, promised three weeks after the start of the lockdown, will be given next week.
But the First Minister was clear an immediate or imminent lifting of restrictions was not on the cards, suggesting the lockdown would last
“for some weeks to come yet”.
In an online First Minister’s Questions with other Holyrood leaders, she made clear she did not want the lockdown to last “a single minute longer” than necessary but nor did she want to “see the virus spiral out of control, see our NHS overwhelmed, and see more lives lost”.
She also warned people against going out during the Easter weekend and urged people to “stick with” the lockdown measures in place.
Ms Sturgeon revealed the daily number of coronavirus deaths in Scotland had risen by a record 81, taking the total to 447. The total number of people tested positive for Covid-19 was 4,957, up 392.
In exchanges, Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said the adequacy and supply of Personal Protective Equipment was a continued source of concern across Scotland.
He said: “For several weeks we’ve been told the supplies are adequate but the problem is with distribution. Will you use logistics experts or even our armed forces if it becomes necessary as they’ve helped elsewhere?”
Ms Sturgeon replied the issue of PPE was of paramount importance but insisted there were adequate supplies and the Scottish Government had been working hard to resolve the concerns people had and was addressing “glitches” were they arose.
“We have army logistics support based in this building in St Andrew’s House helping us with many of these issues and I’m deeply grateful to them for that. So, we will draw on support, logistics and otherwise, when we need it, wherever we need it from,” added the FM.
UK armed forces have already helped with the response to the Covid-19 epidemic, including the creation of the overflow NHS Louisa Jordan hospital at the SEC in Glasgow.
Last night, following a meeting between Mr Raab and Westminster party leaders, Ian Blackford echoed the call for people to stay at home this Easter to save lives.
But the Highland MP also stressed: “We must ensure no one is left behind as we deal with this unprecedented emergency.
“I pressed for action to fix the serious gaps in financial support.
The SNP has consistently called for a comprehensive package, including a guaranteed minimum income, strengthened welfare protections, urgent access to cash for businesses, and increased NHS and Social
Care funding.”
In a separate development, the Home Office came under fire after it emerged some Passport Office staff had been asked to return to work. It was reported they were told that 80 per cent of the population would get infected by the coronavirus and “we cannot hide away from it forever”.
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, denounced what he called the Government’s “cavalier attitude” to its members’ health and safety.”
We must stick to the plan and continue to be guided by the science. Let’s not undo the gains we’ve made