The current lockdown will stay in place for at least the next three weeks, the Foreign Secretary has announced.
Raab says that he recognises all the economic and social impact that the lock down has had on the country but to release some of the measures now would risk losing all that we have gained.
He said that there will be five factors needed before changing restrictions:
1. Space in hospital
2. sustained and consistent fall in daily death rate
3. reliable data that rate of infection decreasing to manageable levels
4. Testing and PPE in hand
5. Any adjustments won’t overwhelm NHS
He says we have come too far to give up now.”There is light at the end of the tunnel”, he says but if we rushed now, we would risk all the progress that has been made. And that could lead to a second outbreak, and a second lockdown.
In the community it is likely that the virus is shrinking said Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser. Sage considered the evidence and concluding the reproduction number was below one. That means, for every one person with the virus, there is less than one new person is being infected.
Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer tweeted
“I fully support the Government’s decision to extend the lockdown.The priority now must be to ensure we see a ramp up in testing, that staff get the PPE they desperately need and more is done to protect our care homes from the virus.”
However he added that “also need clarity about what plans are being put in place to lift the lockdown when the time is right.”
Commenting on the announcement,Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, said:
“The Government is right to extend the lockdown and has the full support of business. Public health remains firms’ number one priority.
“At the same time, extending restrictions will bring serious challenges for many companies. The Government’s lifelines for business will matter more than ever. In particular, it’s vital that the Job Retention Scheme starts delivering cash to struggling companies next week, as HMRC is working hard to achieve. Firms also need urgent clarity on the Scheme’s duration.
“When scientific evidence shows it’s safe to do so, eyes will turn to how the lockdown can be lifted. To build public trust and the right action, many voices will need to be heard, from health experts and political leaders to business, unions and local communities. It’s not too early to start to plan, cautiously and with public health paramount, for the revival of our economy.”
There were 861 deaths from Coronavirus in the UK’s hospitals yesterday, taking the total to 13,729.
As of 9.00am this morning,417,649 tests have concluded, with 18,665 tests yesterday.
327,608 people have been tested of which 103,093 tested positive.
Over 5,000 patients with COVID19 are now taking part in the recovery trial at over 160 NHS sites across the country. The NIHR-supported trial is leading the way in testing a range of potential treatments for the disease
