[ad_1]
British pubs will have to close early and people who do not obey quarantine rules will face hefty fines under the new closure restrictions to stem a growing wave of new coronavirus infections.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce the new measures, a day after UK medical directors raised the country’s Covid-19 alert level, saying the virus is in general circulation and spreading rapidly.
Jon Super / AP
A group of women are seen outside a bar in Manchester, England, in July, when England eased closing restrictions for pubs and restaurants, while asking people to continue with social restrictions.
Other top medical experts said the number of new daily infections in Britain, which stood at 4,300 on Tuesday (New Zealand time), could rise to 50,000 a day in October if no immediate action is taken.
The prime minister’s office said that starting Friday (New Zealand time), pubs, bars and other hospitality venues will be restricted to table service only and must close at 10 pm.
READ MORE:
* Coronavirus: UK imposes fines of up to $ 19,000 on violators of Covid rules
* Amal Clooney resigns from UK envoy for ‘regrettable’ violation of international law
* Boris Johnson’s cunning plan
* UK imposes stricter restrictions on parts of England as Covid-19 cases rise
Johnson is due to update Parliament on the coronavirus situation after meetings of his cabinet and the government’s crisis committee, COBRA. He will also make a televised address to the nation on efforts to combat the virus.
The UK has gradually increased restrictions as cases increase, and people are unable to gather in large groups. But the measures are far less stringent than a national lockdown imposed in March that saw movement restrictions and most businesses shut down.
It eased from June when cases started to drop, but that trend has now been reversed.
Leon Neal / Getty Images
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street. The UK government has suggested that new restrictions at the national level would be required to curb a “second wave” of the virus.
On Tuesday (New Zealand time), the medical directors of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland raised the virus alert from three to four, the second highest level, on the recommendation of the Joint Center for Biosafety.
They said that Covid-19 cases were increasing “rapidly and probably exponentially.”
In a live televised briefing, Chief Scientific Officer Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said that after a slow rise in new infections over the summer, the number of new Covid-19 cases is now doubling every seven days. They said new infections could grow tenfold to nearly 50,000 a day next month if nothing is done now.
In other countries, such an increase has soon led to an increase in deaths, Whitty said, adding that “we have literally turned a corner, in a very bad sense” after weeks of rising infections.
Yui Mok / AP
Government Medical Director Chris Whitty, left, and Senior Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance arrive in Downing Street, London.
Whitty emphasized that infection rates are increasing among all age groups and that infections among the young and healthy will inevitably spread to friends, family, and ultimately the most vulnerable in society.
“This is not someone else’s problem,” he said. “This is our whole problem.”
To persuade people to stay home if they test positive, the government announced that it would pay low-income workers £ 500 pounds ($ 960) if they are told to isolate themselves for 14 days. He also said that those who break quarantines could face fines of up to £ 10,000 pounds ($ 19,205).
Britain has the highest death toll in Europe from the pandemic, with more than 41,800 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Experts say that all of these figures underestimate the true impact of the pandemic.
The 4,300 new infections reported on Tuesday (New Zealand time) reached a level not seen since early May. The highest daily number of new infections in Britain peaked at 6,199 cases on April 5.
While death rates remain relatively low so far, Whitty cautioned that deaths are likely to rise. The UK reported a seven-day average of 21 deaths per day last week, compared with a peak of 942 deaths on April 10.
These numbers include only deaths that are directly related to Covid-19. The real cost could be much higher if emergency services are overwhelmed by coronavirus cases and the National Health Service has to divert resources to treat other illnesses, Whitty said.
But Whitty said the new restrictions must be balanced with the impact on the economy and society, because increased deprivation and mental illness will also lead to death.
Yui Mok / PA / AP
Medical Director Chris Whitty, left, and Senior Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance arrive in Downing Street. Britain’s top medical advisers have painted a grim picture of exponential growth in illness and death if nothing is done to control the second wave of coronavirus infections, laying the groundwork for the UK government to announce further restrictions.
“If we do too little, this virus will spiral out of control and lead to a significant number of direct and indirect deaths,” he said. “But if we go too far the other way, then we can cause damage to the economy.” , which can be transferred to unemployment, poverty, deprivation “.
Vallance said that efforts to find a vaccine are continuing and while it is not yet clear that they will work, the research points in the right direction. He said some vaccines may be available by the end of the year “in small quantities for certain groups.”
Lockdown fears hit stocks on Tuesday (New Zealand time) as stocks in aviation, hospitality and travel companies took a beating. Shares of IAG, the parent company of British Airways, fell 11.3 percent, while pub company Mitchells & Butlers fell 11 percent and Intercontinental Hotels Group fell 4 percent.
Dr Michael Head, a global health expert at the University of Southampton, noted that the warning highlighted the worst possible situation and did not take into account local roadblocks that could stop the virus from spreading.
“It is important to note that the (official) medical director said that the potential of 50,000 cases a day is a ‘worst case scenario’,” he said, but added that “it is a timely reminder that the pandemic is accelerating, both globally. and also here in the UK. “
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
People dine in London. Britain’s top medical advisers have painted a grim picture of exponential growth in illness and death if nothing is done to control the second wave of coronavirus infections.
The rise in infection rates in the UK comes as lawmakers across the political spectrum have criticized the Conservative government’s testing program.
While ministers tout the record number of tests being done, there are widespread reports of people having to travel hundreds of miles for tests or having tests voided because labs take too long to process.
An app aimed at beefing up virus contact tracing efforts will launch this week after months of delay.
