UK shields its economy, but not yet its people

LONDON >> Britain moved decisively Wednesday to cushion its economy from the ravages of the coronavirus, as it prepared to toughen a more cautious medical response that had come under fire, particularly after a health minister who had mingled at a reception with Prime Minister Boris Johnson fell ill from the contagion.

The minister, Nadine Dorries, mixed with multiple other members of Parliament after contracting the virus, prompting at least one other lawmaker to isolate herself and raising questions about whether Johnson should do likewise and even whether

Parliament should suspend its proceedings.

Parliament did meet, however, to hear Johnson’s emergency plan to head off an economic crash from what the World Health Organization on Wednesday officially described as a pandemic: $38 billion in one-time spending in the budget for the overburdened National Health Service and a variety of extra benefits for firms and people forced out of work because of the virus.

And late Wednesday the government said that its crisis committee would meet today and was expected to discuss ways to escalate social distancing strategies for tackling the virus, which could mean more people working from home, school closures and restrictions on large-scale gatherings. As the total number of confirmed cases in Britain rose to nearly 500, the country’s aggressive economic rescue plan had contrasted starkly with its public-health response to the epidemic.

The government had held off on social distancing measures, which the authorities in Italy, France, Germany and other countries have adopted. But those could come soon to Britain if the crisis committee decides, as expected, that its strategy is no longer to contain the virus but to delay its spread. So far, it has carefully regulated its flow of information to the public about what might come next.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, by contrast, warned Wednesday that the virus would ultimately infect about twothirds of that country’s population. “This is an exceptional situation, and we will do whatever is needed,” she said. And President Emmanuel Macron of France said, “What we are living is a true world crisis.”

British officials have avoided such language and have continued to be low-key about the personal risks. Johnson does not plan to be tested, a spokesman said, because he has no symptoms and was never closer than 6 feet from Dorries.