A man in London this Thursday.Frank Augstein / AP
Boris Johnson has finally listened to scientists and advisers who demanded that he go further in social restriction measures in the face of the second wave of the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister said this Saturday, at a press conference announced a few hours in advance, a severe lockdown throughout England for a period of one month.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have autonomy in this health crisis, although they have already gone ahead of the central government in tightening their own measures.
The second confinement will begin next Thursday and will last at least until December 2.
Johnson finally renounces the regional strategy against the pandemic, designed to avoid greater damage to the economy but which has ended up causing regional grievances and confusion among citizens.
In addition to being ineffective against the spread of a disease that, according to the scientists who advise the Government, could add 85,000 deaths this winter to the 60,000 already registered in the United Kingdom.
More than 9,000 patients with covid-19 are already hospitalized throughout England.
"We must be humble before the force of nature," Johnson has admitted.
"In this country, as in the rest of Europe, the virus is spreading faster even than expected in the worst-case scenarios."
Ireland restricts non-essential activities for six weeks
The Government of Wales imposes a total confinement for two weeks
Under the new restrictions,
pubs,
bars and restaurants will remain closed.
Stores and businesses, except those that sell necessary consumer goods (basically supermarkets) will also cease their activity.
Citizens will be urged to stay home and opt for telecommuting, whenever possible.
The Government wants to keep colleges and universities open at all costs, despite the fact that the rate of infections has skyrocketed in recent weeks in secondary education, and it has been out of control on the country's campuses for more than a month.
The first wave movement restrictions are reverted, with a few exceptions.
One hour a day of exercise, with the possible company of a person from another home.
And “support bubbles” between households, if only one person lives in one of them (grandparents, or couples from different residences).
"I firmly trust that, with these measures, we will be able to allow families to reunite in the coming Christmas holidays," the prime minister ventured to say.
Johnson has announced that the Employment Retention Scheme (similar to the ERTEs in Spain) will be extended for another month, throughout November.
The team of scientists that advises the British Government (SAGE, in its acronym in English) already warned in a meeting, on September 23, that the second wave was beginning to show worrying figures.
They then suggested what was called a "confinement-short circuit" for a period of two weeks, to stop the advance of the virus.
His recommendation was made public just as Johnson announced a regional strategy of three levels (1, medium; 2, high; 3, very high) and began to tighten social distancing measures in the worst affected regions of the north of England.
Liverpool, Leeds, Yorkshire, Manchester ... one by one they were incorporated into Level 3, which was a considerable political battle.
Adding to the confusion of the citizens was a feeling of injury towards London and the wealthy south of England.
"The north will not be a test tube," said the graffiti on the streets of some of those towns.
England registered 18,864 new infections this Saturday.
As it is now known, the SAGE scientists, in their meeting on October 8, already warned that the number of infections and hospital admissions "exceeded the worst scenarios foreseen with the plans currently deployed."
The Office for National Statistics has ensured that, in all likelihood, daily infections in England are currently around 50,000.
At the rate at which the virus is advancing, doubling the numbers every two weeks, the daily death toll could briefly reach 500.
Johnson has held constant meetings with scientists and ministers for the past few hours.
The Government reflected a deep division of opinion.
Some of its members defended creating a new level, Level 4, in the system applied so far, with more severe measures, but maintaining the regional strategy.
Most, however, were betting on imposing a new national regime of restrictions.
Aware that it would be the umpteenth lurch for Johnson, who promised to do everything possible to avoid a national lockdown (as requested by the Labor opposition), they have concluded that it was the only way to try to save the Christmas campaign and its impact economic.
And even that is not guaranteed at this point in the game.
The House of Commons will rule on the new measures on Wednesday, and if, as planned, they go ahead, they will become a new reality from Thursday.
Information about the coronavirus
- Here you can follow the last hour on the evolution of the pandemic
- This is how the coronavirus curve evolves in the world
- Download the tracking application for Spain
- Guide to action against the disease