No way to guarantee UK ‘lockdown’ only lasts one month, government says | World

On Saturday (31), British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new measures to contain the second wave of contamination by the new coronavirus in the country. The strictest lockdown would initially last four weeks, starting at midnight on November 5.

Minister Michael Gove said, however, that the period could be longer.

“With such a malignant virus, and with its ability to move so fast, it would be foolish to predict with absolute certainty what will happen in four weeks,” he told Sky News.

According to Gove, there is a “fervent hope” that the period of one month is sufficient to contain the pandemic, but “it cannot be guaranteed.”

Rules of the new ‘confinement’

Boris Johnson said that the increase in the daily number of new Covid-19 cases is greater than in the worst case. Without immediate action, there will be the risk of a total overload of the British healthcare system.

To avoid collapse, the following rules have been announced:

• You will only be allowed to leave the house for specific reasons, such as exercising, shopping, or caring for vulnerable people;
• non-essential services, such as commerce and the hotel sector, will be closed;
• bars, restaurants and pubs can only sell take out food;
• workplaces should only maintain activities when the tasks performed cannot be performed at home;
• schools and universities will remain open.