Covid 19 coronavirus: UK at ‘tipping point’: England braces for more restrictions

Millions of people in the north of England eagerly await how much more virus restrictions will tighten as one of the British government’s top medical advisers warned on Sunday that the country is at a crucial juncture in the second wave of the coronavirus.

England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, said the UK is at a “similar tipping point as we were in March” following a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases.

“But we can prevent history from repeating itself if we all act now,” he said. “Now we know where it is and how to approach it. Let’s seize this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.”

Across Europe, including the UK, there have been large increases in coronavirus cases in recent weeks after the reopening of large sectors of the economy, as well as schools and universities. Infection levels – and deaths – in the UK are increasing at the fastest rate in months.

Without quick action, there are fears that UK hospitals will be overwhelmed in the coming weeks at a time of year when they are already busier with winter-related afflictions such as flu. The UK has experienced the deadliest outbreak in Europe, with an official death toll of 42,825, up from another 65 on Sunday.

Although coronavirus infections are on the rise across England, northern cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle have seen a disproportionate increase. While some rural areas in eastern England have fewer than 20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, major metropolitan areas such as Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham have recently recorded levels above 500 per 100,000, almost as bad as Madrid or Brussels.

As a result, national restrictions, such as a 10 pm curfew in pubs and restaurants, have been complemented by local actions, including in some cases a ban on household contacts. In Scotland’s two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, pubs have already closed for 16 days to suppress the outbreak.

In response to the resurgence of the virus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a new three-tier local lockdown system for England on Monday, which could temporarily close pubs and restaurants in virus hot spots. The speculation is that domestic mixing, indoors or outdoors, will be prohibited in those areas subject to the strictest restrictions. Liverpool’s local leader has said he expects his city to face the heaviest restrictions from Wednesday.

He is briefing Cabinet members by conference call Sunday.

Local leaders in the north of England have vented their fury at the Conservative government for what they see as an “inappropriate” wage support plan it announced on Friday and for not adequately informing them about the upcoming restrictions. The salary plan aims to help employees at companies that are forced to close due to virus restrictions, but mayors say it is not generous enough to pay just two-thirds of employee salaries and does not compensate those indirectly affected by the closure of businesses, such as suppliers of drinks for pubs

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick tried Sunday to allay concerns that the government was being too hierarchical in its approach. He also indicated that local authorities will have more control over the national test and trace program, which has struggled to fulfill Johnson’s prediction that it would be “a world victory.”

“In addition to the national infrastructure that develops and increases with each passing week, we are also going to make use of the local councils to track contacts in particular, because there is clear evidence that the local councils are good at it, as you would expect “he told the BBC.

In addition to facing questions about its strategy against the coronavirus, members of the government had to respond to allegations of possible wrongdoing.

Jenrick himself denied that there was anything wrong with him and a minister in his department approving payments to cities in each other’s constituencies from a government fund earmarked for disadvantaged areas. He insisted that there was a “solid and fair” methodology behind the assignments.

Separately, Health Secretary Matt Hancock denied claims that he broke the government curfew after the Mail on Sunday newspaper claimed he was seen having a drink in a House of Commons bar after 10 p.m.

“The proposed schedule of events is false and no rules have been broken,” said a spokesman for the health secretary.

– Associated Press