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Boris Johnson is reportedly ready to ignore a rebellion in the north and force Manchester into a Level 3 blockade with or without local support.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham yesterday criticized plans to close pubs and bars in the city, saying he feared Manchester would be “canaries in the coal mine” testing experimental measures.
He also demanded more cash to help workers, who will currently receive only two-thirds of wages, who would not be able to work due to the closures.
But the Telegraph reports that the prime minister is expected to impose the highest level of coronavirus restrictions on Greater Manchester today, even if Burnham is not yet on board.
Lancashire leaders are also understood to be close to agreeing to move to level three status.
(Image: PA)
This decision is despite the fact that even conservative MPs from the north side with Burnham in speaking out against the measures.
A key objection from local leaders has been the level of revenue support with requests for Johnson to reinstate the licensing plan to pay 80 percent of salaries.
But government sources insisted that “it is not happening,” with one telling the Telegraph: “They are using this as an opportunity to get some more cash out of us, but it won’t work.” We are not going to move forward on this. “
The three-tier system has come under fire in recent days, with a host of SAGE and other scientific experts saying that it will likely not be effective and instead calling for a nationwide “circuit breaker” shutdown.
Some at SAGE even believe that a total shutdown will be necessary during each school holiday until the pandemic has been brought under control.
Hospital leaders joined those calling for a closure to ease pressure on beds, and the Northwest was hit particularly hard by rising hospital admissions.
Chris Hopson, CEO of NHS Providers, cited a “perfect storm” of tired staff, the loss of about a third of the ability to keep Covid and non-Covid patients separate, and attempts to do “three things at the same time. time”.
(Image: PA)
When asked if he thought a circuit breaker was needed, he said: “What we have to do is err on the side of caution to make sure the NHS has the capacity to treat all patients during the winter … that’s a yes.” .
Northern Ireland has already introduced a one-month lockdown and Wales has indicated that it will also announce a circuit break in the medium term.
Johnson has not ruled out a two-week mid-term national lockdown, but is said to be desperate to avoid it, though ministers are said to believe full regional closures could come late next week if the tier system fails.
Almost half of England’s population, 27 million people, will now be under tighter lockdown measures as of Saturday, as London moved to the second tier of measures.
Essex, Elmbridge, Barrow and Furness, York, North East Derbyshire, Erewash and Chesterfield will also face a ban on households mixing indoors, including in pubs and restaurants.
The move could put 1.5 million jobs at risk in more than 5,000 pubs and nearly 8,500 restaurants as they struggle to survive restrictions without government support.
The British Beer & Pub Association warned that stricter measures will “decimate” pubs unless they get a better financial deal.
And a passionate Mr. Burnham led the revolt against the plans in a public speech in front of Manchester City Council.
He accused the government of treating the North “with contempt” and of trying to turn it into the “sacrificial lamb” for unproven measures that were being carried out “cheaply.”
“We have to protect the health of the nation, but let us do it as one nation, and let us not make the North of England the lamb slaughtered by a badly thought Downing Street policy that makes no sense in the real world.” he said.
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