Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a second national lockdown for England, beginning at 00.01 on Thursday 5 November and finishing at 00.01 on Wednesday 2 December, lasting a total of four weeks.
1. Downing Street announcement
In a Downing Street news conference the Prime Minister said he was, ‘truly, truly sorry’ for the impact the lockdown will have on businesses, but said the furlough system, which pays 80% of employee wages, will be extended so that it continues through November. He however continued that, ‘no responsible prime minister’ could ignore figures which indicate deaths would reach several thousand a day, and show the possibility of a peak of mortality worse than the one the country saw in April.
Mr. Johnson explained that at the end of the four week lockdown the restrictions will be eased and the country will go back to using the tiered system (a more local and regional approach), stating that, ‘Christmas is going to be different this year, perhaps very different, but it’s my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now we can allow families across the country to be together.’
He highlighted the need to act now as he said hospitals even in the south-west of England, which has amongst the lowest number of cases, will run out of capacity in weeks. ‘Doctors and nurses would be forced to choose which patients to treat, who would get oxygen and who wouldn’t, who would live and who would die’.
Which businesses will close in lockdown? Everything you need to know https://t.co/kcA7YYhkv2
— The Independent (@Independent) November 2, 2020
2. The figures
The announcement comes on the back of some alarming figures presented to the Cabinet ministers during their emergency meeting. The infection rate has increased to one in every 100 people, meaning more than half a million people carry the virus at any one time, a figure that has doubled from one in 200 since the start of October. In July, it was one in 2,300. Importantly and worse still is that the National Health Service is on track to run out of beds in December, (even if measures such as cancelling elective treatments are taken).
3. New restrictions:
The new restrictions in place include:
- Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential shops are closed but takeaways and click-and-collect shopping remain open
- Leisure and entertainment venues, including gyms, will also close
- Hairdressers and beauty salons will close
- Amateur sport is banned
- People should stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, for example work which cannot be done from home and education
- People can also leave home for exercise, medical reasons, food and other essential shopping and if they are providing care for vulnerable people or volunteering
- Meeting indoors or in private gardens is not allowed
- Individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place
- 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
- Education settings, such as nurseries, schools and universities will remain open
- Elite sports will be allowed behind closed doors as currently, including Premier League football matches
- Public services, such as jobcentres, courts, and civil registration offices remain open
Those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable people are being asked to be especially careful, but people are not being asked to remain indoors as in the previous lockdown.
Covid: Boris Johnson faces Tory fury amid hints of further England lockdown https://t.co/Ss95R935mD
— The Guardian (@guardian) November 2, 2020
4. Travel
The lockdown includes no exemption for staying away from home for a holiday, meaning people cannot travel internationally or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted exemptions (such as to visit and care for dependants of support bubble). Those from England who are currently on holiday can finish their holiday and then return home, following any relevant quarantine restrictions. Overnight stays away from primary residences will not be allowed, except for specific exceptions including for work.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland already have their own restrictions in place, which are tougher than those in England, and there is no expectation that the different lockdowns will be merged.
