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Johnson said Monday that a three-tiered national system was established to “simplify and standardize” a confusing system of local rules, and that the country faces a “crucial phase” with more COVID-19 patients filling hospitals now than in March. when the prime minister closed. the whole country.
“These numbers are flashing before our eyes like warnings on the dashboard of an airliner, and we must act now,” the prime minister said.
Shops, schools and universities would remain open in all British cities. Johnson told lawmakers that the goal of the new system is to save lives and prevent overcrowding in hospitals.
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / Boris Johnson
However, the owners of pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses do not agree to these rules. Some industry leaders have even threatened a legal dispute over the rules, saying they are not to blame for the growing scale of the infection.
After falling into the summer months, cases of coronavirus infection in the UK have recently increased. As winter approaches, the North West and North East of England are experiencing the largest increases in infections.
Liverpool is currently almost the largest outbreak in the country, here 100,000. the population has around 600 cases, much more than in highly infected European cities, such as Madrid or Brussels.
Under the new measures, areas in England will be classified according to three levels of risk (‘medium’, ‘high’ or ‘very high’) and will be subject to restrictions of varying severity.
In areas where the risk is lower, existing national restrictions will continue to apply, including restrictions on the opening hours of bars and restaurants until 10 pm. and the prohibition of meetings of more than 6 people.
Higher risk areas will not be allowed to meet indoors for members of different households in addition to the above restrictions.
Restrictions will be applied in “very high risk” areas, including the closure of non-food bars and, if desired by local authorities, other venues such as gyms and casinos.
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / UK during coronavirus pandemic
Liverpool was the only one in the highest risk category on Monday, but government officials are still talking to local authorities in the north of England, according to Johnson.
Liverpool bars, gyms, entertainment centers, gambling shops and casinos will be closed from Wednesday.
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said local authorities had agreed to stricter restrictions, provided they were accompanied by better investigation and contact tracing measures to prevent outbreaks of infections, the government said.
The government also announced a support package and pledged to pay two-thirds of wages to workers whose businesses will be forced to close, but the bar and restaurant sector says this is not enough to save companies that are already struggling. For surviving.
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / UK during coronavirus pandemic
Labor leader Keir Starmer said he doubted the new measures were enough to continue “to control the virus, protect jobs or maintain public trust.”
The UK has had the deadliest coronavirus outbreak in Europe, with an official death toll of 42,875. winter diseases.
Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said on Monday that while northern England had the highest number of infections, the number of cases across the country is only increasing. Infections increased most rapidly among older teens and young adults, who typically only experience mild symptoms but infect older and at-risk people.
Meanwhile, bar and restaurant owners are outraged that the government has not provided any evidence to back up the claim that these are the main sources of transmission of the virus.
The measures announced Monday apply to England. The rest of the UK has similar, sometimes stricter restrictions. In two of Scotland’s largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, bars were closed for 16 days to control a coronavirus outbreak.
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