Boris Johnson has urged people to behave in a responsible and safe manner, as England’s medical director admitted that reducing Saturday’s closure left the country walking on a narrow road with serious risks “on both sides.”
At a press conference on the eve of the changes that will allow restaurants, pubs and bars to reopen for the first time since March, the prime minister insisted that “we are not yet out of the woods yet.”
“Let’s not screw it up,” he said.
But his comments came in a context of the government’s handling of the pandemic that was branded as chaos. His message about the need to act sensibly also sparked concern after it was announced that pubs in England would be able to serve customers from 6 am on Saturday.
Police and health workers warned that lifting hospitality restrictions could lead to disorder and an increase in infections.
On a day when the official death toll rose from 137 to 44,131, Johnson said the country had made great strides in controlling the virus and argued that it was time for companies to try to get back to work.
Going forward, he said, the government would use specific local measures, rather than general national measures to try to contain any second wave of infections.
“The virus is still with us and the increase in Leicester has shown it,” he said. “If it begins to lose control again, this government will not hesitate to slow down and re-impose restrictions.
“I want people to feel that it is safe to go and enjoy and enjoy hospitality. But it must be done responsibly. “
When asked if he was happy with the relief of the restrictions, England’s medical director, Professor Chris Whitty, admitted that “it was not a risk-free next step.”
“It absolutely is not, and that is why we have to be really serious about it.” He said the country was walking “a narrow path” with “really serious risks” on both sides.
He urged people to follow the rules of social distancing, adding: “If individuals, families and companies don’t take them seriously, the possibility of a second wave increases considerably.”
In other developments, the government said:
• Ministers would adopt a five-step plan to move from a national closure system to specific local measures.
• It would establish a schedule next week for the safe reopening of the event and theater industry. However, Johnson did not offer any details on how it would be done or what day it would be announced.
• The rules signed by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, were expected to set a 30-person limit for home and outdoor meetings in settings that are not considered safe for Covid.
• Recreational cricket could restart next weekend.
During a round of interviews on Friday, Johnson refused to be swayed by the conduct of his father, Stanley, who flew to his Greek villa through Bulgaria to avoid the government’s ban on direct flights to the country.
In an attempt to get the tone right before the restrictions were lowered, Johnson acknowledged that increased infections were inevitable.
“We always said there would be local outbreaks that would require local action. This is to be expected and, I am afraid, will be a feature of our lives for some time. But that should not take away from the great progress we have made, together, as a country against this vicious disease.
“This progress is the reason why we have been able, slowly, carefully and cautiously, to alleviate the national blockade. The blockade has undoubtedly saved many hundreds of thousands of lives, but it has also had a devastating impact on our way of life and our economy. “
Johnson hinted that the gyms could reopen in a matter of weeks and said he would try to make theaters work “as fast as we can.”
In a previous interview on LBC radio, the Prime Minister said: “We are going to reopen gyms as soon as we can do it in a safe way from Covid and I think the date is to reopen gyms right now if we can do it.” it’s in a couple of weeks. “
In a briefing by the Independent Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies, established as an alternative to the government’s Sage committee, Professor Susan Michie, a behavioral scientist at University College London, urged people to avoid pubs over the weekend.
“The big concern is going to be in the pubs because there are likely to be more people and less control,” he said. “I don’t know whose responsibility it will be to try to maintain social distance, but we know that alcohol is a great disinhibitor of behavior.”
He said people can go drinking with firm plans to stay away from others and wash their hands regularly, but questioned whether those intentions would survive the night. “After a couple of drinks, those plans are most likely to be forgotten,” he said. “I would suggest, first of all, that people want to avoid pubs. But if you go, I suggest you limit your alcohol intake to one or two so that you can at least try to stay safe as best you can. “
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