Covid-19 in the United Kingdom: Boris Johnson confines England to the French model

France is far from being the only one to suffer from the epidemic resumption of the coronavirus, far from it.

Greece, Spain, Germany, Belgium… Many of our neighbors have already announced new restrictions in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.

On the other side of the Channel, Ireland was the first country in Europe to take the heaviest decision: that of reconfinement.

In the UK, the Welsh government quickly followed suit.

And here is that the English population will also have to confine themselves, from Thursday, November 4.

Remember that in the United Kingdom, each province decides on its own strategy in the face of the virus.

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This was announced this Saturday afternoon by the British Prime Minister, during a televised intervention.

In Downing Street was accompanied by his scientific advisers.

If nothing is done, the projections let fear a wave at least twice as deadly as the first, assured the latter.

No time to lose, Boris Johnson announced the implementation of a second confinement modeled on that applied in France since Friday.

This is almost true for the - supposed - duration of the measure, which is supposed to last until December 2.

The day after the French confinement.

This is especially true for the modalities of this confinement.

As in France, businesses deemed non-essential will all have to close their doors.

Travel will be limited to the strict minimum.

To do your shopping, do a little exercise, go to work when teleworking is not possible.

But also to take children to school, nurseries, schools and unlike France, universities, remaining open.

One in two English people already had restrictions

This reconfinement is a turnaround for the Conservative leader, who has so far resisted calls to reconfine England, even for a short period of two to three weeks, as suggested by the opposition Labor Party.

Confined in one block on March 23 during the first wave, the United Kingdom then favored a local approach.

As in France, a three-level alert level determined in recent weeks the restrictions imposed on each region of England.

Before Thursday's reconfinement, more than half of the population in England was already under restrictions.

"No one 'wants' a lockdown, myself included," one of the Sage committee members, Jeremy Farrar, said earlier on Twitter.

"But we quickly passed the worst-case scenario, we are further along in the epidemic than many had anticipated", he stressed, calling for "act now".

Mass was almost said.

Nobody 'wants' a lockdown, myself very much included.

Full & generous support for people & businesses is a crucial part of making it work.

But we have quickly breached the reasonable worst-case scenario, we are further ahead in this phase of the epidemic than many have assumed.

- Jeremy Farrar (@JeremyFarrar) October 30, 2020

These reconfigurations decided on the other side of the Channel were all decided in the hope of “Saving Christmas”.

A wish also made in France, without the French executive being able to guarantee the French that they will have the opportunity to meet up with their families for the end of the year celebrations.

Only a marked decline in the epidemic in Europe could allow it to be considered, and it is a real race against time which is now on.

"Christmas will undoubtedly be different this year", conceded Boris Johnson all the same.

Heavy economic losses

England is already preparing to pay a heavy economic price.

The consequences of a new confinement are particularly feared.

The IMF is already forecasting a 10.4% contraction in UK GDP in 2020. Pubs and restaurants will have to remain closed for weeks, as the industry is already heavily affected by the pandemic.

For the hotel and catering industry, a re-containment would have "disastrous" consequences, reacted on Twitter Kate Nicholls, general manager of UK hospitality, calling for financial support to overcome this new ordeal.

But the human toll of the United Kingdom weighs even more heavily.

The pandemic has already killed more than 46,000 people there, making it the most bereaved country in Europe.

It is preparing to exceed one million cases.

In its latest report released on Friday, the National Statistics Office (ONS) revealed that England experienced nearly 52,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day last week, a 47% increase from the previous week. previous week.

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The number of infections and hospitalizations in England has meanwhile surpassed the worst-case scenario, wrote scientists from the Sage group, which advises the government, in a written October 14 note published on Friday.

A note that undoubtedly played in the announcements of the day.