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Ten days ago, the British prime minister dismissed the idea of a second national blockade as a “peak of absurdity”. Now he saw no other option.
“Stay home, protect the health system, save lives”: Boris Johnson appeals to his compatriots.
Photo: Keystone
After resisting a second national blockade for weeks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hastily ordered appropriate measures. As of Thursday, “normal” life in England comes to a standstill for at least a month, but possibly longer.
Across the country, people are said to be retreating back to their houses and apartments. Home visits are no longer allowed, and outdoor contacts are only possible to a limited extent. Stores that do not sell food or medicine will have to close again, as in March this year. Restaurants, pubs, and virtually all entertainment venues must also cease operations. All schools and universities must remain open against the vehement protests of the teachers’ unions.
With the announcement of this new national blockade, the British government has taken a radical turn. Until now, Prime Minister Johnson had wanted to limit himself to a complicated system of local and regional restrictions.
Extrapolation warns of 85,000 new corona victims
Ten days earlier, he had described the idea of a second nationwide blockade as “the height of absurdity” that would lead to “the lights going out” in the country. He had previously evoked the “catastrophic” financial consequences of a new blockade and declared that his government “would do everything in our power to prevent it.”
Johnson even turned down a two-week “breakwater”, a mini-blockade. His medical and scientific advisers had already requested it on September 21. On that day, the number of corona patients in British hospitals was 1080 and that of the most recently deceased corona victims was 11. The number of patients has risen to more than 10,000. At the same time, 326 deaths were reported across the country on Saturday in 24 hours.
The new blockade makes their situation even more difficult: protesters from entertainment and the arts in London.
Photo: Keystone
As early as September, experts had stated that without drastic intervention this fall, thousands could die every day during the winter. An extrapolation spoke of 85,000 new corona victims, in addition to the more than 60,000 Britain had to complain about this year according to the statistical office.
In recent days, government advisers have been warning the prime minister more and more that the wave of new infections will even exceed previous predictions and that the UK healthcare system would be ‘overwhelmed’ in early December. Sir Patrick Vallance, Johnson’s chief science advisor, said the current data “paints an extremely bleak picture.” The number of deaths this winter could now be “double that in the first wave”, “or even more”.
“An earlier block would have been better”
Opposition politicians accused the government of wavering too much this time, as they did in March. “A lockdown earlier would have been better for the health of our citizens, also for our healthcare system and for the economy,” opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labor Party, said on Sunday. Conservative right-wing MEPs, on the other hand, believe that Johnson has “given in” to the demands of overly nervous individual scholars and is risking major economic recessions.
Conservative politicians want to vote against the new restrictions in the lower house on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Michael Gove, one of Johnson’s top ministers, admitted that the four-week lockdown, which will end on Dec. 2, could also be extended if necessary. Government advisers have already spoken of six rather than four weeks and that schools may have to be closed.
