Covid- 19 : England gets ready for new four-week lockdown

England will begin a month-long lockdown on Thursday - with Boris Johnson saying acting now could allow families to spend Christmas together.

 

Pubs, restaurants, gyms, non-essential shops and places of worship will close, but schools, colleges and universities can stay open.

 

The announcement has sparked anger from some Tory MPs, and business leaders have warned of a "bleak midwinter".

 

Mr Johnson is expected to deliver a statement in the Commons on Monday.

 

MPs will vote on the latest restrictions on Wednesday, and Labour has indicated it will back the lockdown.

 

But writing in the Sunday Telegraph, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused the prime minister of "giving in to the scientific advisers".

 

Sir Iain said the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) had "pressurised" the government into taking this decision, with its members "publicly lecturing" the government.

 

He urged Mr Johnson not to continue "encouraging businesses to reopen only to force them to lock down again".

Under the new restrictions:

• People are being told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, such as work which cannot be done from home, and education
• People are also allowed to leave home for exercise, medical reasons, food and other essential shopping, and providing care for vulnerable people or for volunteering
• Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed
• But individuals can meet meet one other person from another household outside in a public place
• Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail will close but takeaways and click-and-collect shopping can remain open
• Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also close, along with entertainment venues
• And personal care facilities, such as hair, beauty and nail salons, must close
• Places of worship will close, unless they are being used for funerals, to broadcast acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare, or essential services such as blood donation or food banks
• Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open
• People are still allowed to form support bubbles
• Children can move between homes if their parents are separated
• Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be "especially careful" but people are not being asked to resume shielding

Hours before the furlough scheme was due to end, the government said that it would be extended until December, covering 80% of employee wages

 

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Confederation of British Industry director general, said extending furlough was a "vital step", adding that affordable mass testing would be the "game-changer" for businesses, enabling more companies to stay open.

 

She said: "For many businesses, a second national lockdown marks the start of a bleak midwinter."

 

Richard Burge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce, said businesses were back in "survival mode" and that details of a support package must accompany the restrictions when put before Parliament.

 

He welcomed the 80% furlough scheme, but said grants should be made available, and bank interest and charges should be suspended.

 

Both the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, and the chief executive of the New West End Company, Jace Tyrrell, described the lockdown as a "nightmare before Christmas".

 

Meanwhile, travel firms have warned of a "complete shutdown" across the industry when England goes into lockdown again and have called for the government to support the sector.

 

When the "stay at home" order comes into effect from Thursday, travel and overnight stays in the UK and abroad will be restricted.

 

Source: 2020 BBC