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The Prime Minister, while resisting pressure to shut down completely “circuit breaker” companies at the national level, is considering sweeping restrictions in areas with high infection rates to try to stem the second wave of the disease. Conservative MPs hope he will order the closure of hospitality businesses and ban domestic mixing in many parts of the country.
A well-connected conservative insider said: “No. 10 doesn’t like the idea of a generalized national shutdown, but is planning specific regional measures that would be pretty close to the circuit breaker idea.”
The move is likely to take place during the week beginning Monday, October 26, when most English schools are on their mid-term recess, but it could be extended for up to fifteen days.
A Conservative MP added: “It feels like a big crackdown is on the way and mid-term is the obvious time to do it.”
A Downing Street source said: “We are not ruling anything. We have not removed a circuit breaker from the table. There are several ways to do this.
“It would not be responsible to rule out any action to combat the virus.”
The news of the discussions comes after it emerged that scientific advisers proposed closing a two-week “circuit breaker” last month, but the idea was rejected by the Prime Minister.
And tonight Sir Keir Starmer abandoned his previous cross-party support for the government effort against the disease to demand a “circuit breaker” lockout of up to three weeks.
Schools would be allowed to remain open under the so-called circuit break for up to three weeks, but all other organizations and businesses should be forced to close their doors unless their work is essential, the Labor leader said.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer attacked after the IN PERSON briefing to demand total lockdown
Boris Johnson is considering a circuit breaker lockout to coincide with the school semester (Image: No10)
Boris Johnson has not ruled out a new confinement (Image: PA)
Sir Keir refused to estimate how much damage the plan would do to the economy, but insisted that failure to act would have a worse impact.
He said the shutdown would not last more than three weeks and said it would be enough time to reduce the rate of reproduction “R” of the disease.
The Labor leader admitted that “it would require significant sacrifices across the country” as households were banned from mixing and only essential travel was allowed.
He said: “We are all concerned about any damage to the economy, but the prolonged agony of the tiered approach, which will have to intensify and increase in the coming weeks because it is not going to work, will be much worse. for the economy than the circuit break that we propose for two to three weeks, which will lower the R rate and actually mean we could ease restrictions more quickly. “
Sir Keir called for the drastic measure to be introduced “imminently” to coincide with the schools’ mid-term recess to minimize disruptions.
“It would mean only essential work and travel. Let everyone who can work from home do so. Non-essential offices must be closed.
READ MORE: ‘Huge cost to the economy!’ Keir Starmer instantly questioned the plan
Sir Keir Starmer said Boris Johnson had ‘failed’ in his response to coronavirus (Image: SKY)
“The household mix should be restricted to one household, except for those that have formed bubbles of support.
“And all the pubs, bars and restaurants would be closed for two or three weeks, but compensated so that no business loses because of the sacrifices we all have to make. It should also mean that the UK Parliament shifts to telecommuting. “
During a televised press conference, Sir Keir told the Prime Minister: “You know that science supports this approach. You know that the restrictions you are introducing will not be enough.
“You know that now a circuit break is needed to get this virus under control.
“You can’t keep delaying this and go back to the House of Commons every few weeks with another plan that won’t work.”
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Just a few days ago a new three-level coronavirus lockdown system was described (Image: PA)
Three-Level Lock – Explained (Image: EXPRESS)
Three-tier coronavirus lockdown in the UK – mapped (Image: EXPRESS)
Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said local advice in his Harwich and North Essex constituency was that a “short, sharp shock” would be the best way to tackle the pandemic.
The chairman of the powerful Commons Liaison Committee told Times Radio: “If we took it hard now, we would be back at manageable levels before Christmas. If we leave it for another five or six weeks, then … the tail of the bell curve runs through January. “
Johnson said today at a cabinet meeting that the government will continue to work with local authorities to impose sweeping restrictions in the worst affected areas under its new three-tier Covid local alert level regime.
His spokesman said: “The prime minister said that the government continues to work with local leaders in the north to agree on additional interventions in Level Three areas, in order to reduce the transmission of the virus.
“The Prime Minister said that for the Liverpool city region we have successfully agreed on a package of measures and support that includes the closure of gyms and fitness studios, casinos, adult gaming centers and betting shops.
“This is in addition to closing pubs and bars, which means that the package of measures goes beyond the baseline for Level Three. The prime minister said these are difficult steps, but we have to protect the NHS and save lives. “
Latest UK coronavirus statistics – mapped (Image: EXPRESS)
Global COVID-19 Statistics – Latest (Image: EXPRESS)
Referring to SAGE’s advice, the spokesman said the prime minister had to balance the recommendations of science with the potential harm to the economy and society from the lockdown measures.
The Secretary of Communities, Robert Jenrick, confirmed today that Johnson had not ruled out a greater national blockade.
The cabinet minister said: “The prime minister was very clear: we don’t want to have a generalized national blockade.
“We don’t rule out anything, that would be wrong. We have to keep all measures under review.
“But you can see that there are such wide variations in the number of cases, from just 20 or 30 (per 100,000 people) in parts of the West Country, to approaching 1,000 cases per 100,000 in some of our big cities like Nottingham. . .
“So if we can take a proportionate but localized approach, then we should be able to attack the virus in the places where it is most concentrated.”
He stressed: “We are not penalizing any part of the country; what we are trying to do is take a proportionate approach that does not implement measures elsewhere where they are clearly not needed today.”
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