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The prime minister will confirm on Monday that the second lockdown will end on December 2, but will be replaced by stricter measures. His replacement from the Winter Covid Plan will be “difficult”, ministers admit, with a source saying: “This will not be a normal holiday period. These plans, which MPs can vote on next Thursday, would see the country return to a tougher version of the controversial three-tier system, with more areas in the highest category.
But the rebels, pointing to the damage caused by such restrictions, will refuse to support the measures unless it is shown that they will “save more lives than they cost.”
They warn in a letter to Mr. Johnson: “The prescribed lockdown cure runs the very real risk of being worse than the disease.”
Sage’s scientific advisers will publish more articles on Monday, setting out scientific advice that is expected to indicate that previous levels were not robust enough and that a stricter regional approach is required.
This could cause shops to remain closed in level 3 areas and pubs and restaurants closed in level 2 areas. It could also have extreme limitations for people from different households to gather together.
Boris Johnson faces a big showdown this week from the tory backbenchers (Image: GETTY)
Global cases of coronavirus MAP live (Image: EXPRESS)
The government insists that the plans “will not last longer than absolutely necessary” and that the levels “will be reviewed periodically.”
But the plans will run counter to the new Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of conservative MPs chaired by former minister and aspiring leadership Mark Harper and founded by prominent Brexiteer Steve Baker.
A letter from the CRG, signed by 70 Conservative MPs and 14 peers, has been sent to the Prime Minister and makes it clear that they will not support any attempt to bring a third blockade.
Significantly, the group has also said that any attempt to reintroduce the tier system in England will have to be justified by clear scientific evidence.
This follows ongoing concerns that the figures cited by Johnson, his chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, and medical director Chris Whitty to justify the second lockdown were inaccurate.
Boris Johnson will confirm tomorrow that the second confinement will end on December 2 (Image: SKY)
Figures produced at a press conference before the shutdown included an extreme death toll of up to 4,000 deaths per day. These stats have been criticized for being outdated and not taking into account the effects of the tier system.
A second letter signed by more than 60 MPs and organized by the great conservative Sir Edward Leigh has demanded that places of worship be allowed to reopen in all areas.
The CRG letter notes: “The tiered restriction approach in principle attempts to link the prevalence of the virus with measures to address it, but it is vital that we always remember that even the tiered system of restrictions profoundly infringes on people’s lives with enormous economic costs and of health. Even level 1 only allows groups of up to six people to meet indoors.
“We cannot support this approach further unless the government shows that the restrictions proposed for after December 2 will have an impact on slowing down the transmission of Covid and will save more lives than they cost.
“To this end, the Government should publish a full cost-benefit analysis of the proposed restrictions at the regional level so that parliamentarians can responsibly assess the impact of the non-Covid health restrictions, as well as the impact undoubted in the means of life “.
MPs said they are “especially concerned” about outdoor sports, the 10 pm curfew, the closure of non-essential retail stores, gyms and personal care businesses, restrictions on worship, home visits, hospitality and the inclusion of children under 12 6 ”.
“The burden falls on the Government to demonstrate the necessity and proportionality of each restriction,” they added.
The same tone was also struck by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in remarks ahead of a meeting of northern metropolitan mayors on Monday.
Burnham said: “There is no point in having restrictions just so you can see that you are doing something; make sure they are things that really reduce the number of cases.”
On Saturday 341 more deaths were registered and 19,875 cases were registered, compared to 511 deaths and 20,252 cases the day before.
The government believes that recent positive developments on vaccines and massive testing “provide real confidence” that reliance on economic and social constraints to control the virus can be gradually reduced in the run-up to spring.
As long as the vaccines are approved by regulators, the first injections can be made next month before they are more widely distributed in the New Year.
A spokeswoman for Number 10 said: “Everyone’s efforts during the current national restrictions have helped control the virus, slow its spread and ease pressures on the NHS.
“But the Prime Minister and his scientific advisers are clear that the virus is still around and, without regional restrictions, it could quickly spiral out of control again before vaccines and massive testing have taken effect.
“That would jeopardize the progress the country has made and once again risk intolerable pressure on the NHS.”
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Former government chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport told Times Radio that the closure measures appeared to be working, but that people should continue to abide by the rules.
He warned: “It is absolutely clear that if you stopped everything and took off the brakes completely, the infection would start to grow again and therefore the question is what action will they take after December 2?
“I am sure that continued measures of some kind will be needed. Surely now, when the prospect of a vaccine exists, is not the time to give up. “
Johnson came under further pressure from the conservative blue-collar group, which launched a campaign to recover the £ 1.9 billion given in aid of COVID to supermarkets and give it to the self-employed who have had little support.
Former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey said the cash should be used to help people who run small businesses who are ineligible for help and are on the brink of bankruptcy.
Ms McVey said: “Supermarkets must return the £ 1.9bn of support they received from taxpayers in the form of exempt trade fees. This money was designed to protect the main street stores that closed during the pandemic, not to provide extra money for supermarkets that not only stayed open throughout the process, but positively thrived during that time.
“They must know that it is the right thing to do. And if the big supermarket chains don’t do the right thing and give the money back, then the government should take it away from them in an unexpected tax. “
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