Boris Johnson says England will move to local coronavirus lockdowns
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said councils and the central government will be able to implement local lockdowns to tackle coronavirus outbreaks in a major shift in policy.
“From tomorrow, local authorities will have new powers in their areas,” Johnson said. “They will be able to close specific premises, shut local outdoor spaces and cancel events.”
“These powers will enable local authorities to act more quickly in response to outbreaks where speed is paramount.”
He said ministers will be able to order people to stay at home in certain areas, close premises and types of premises, and restrict transport systems.
In a major speech the PM said scientists now know much more about the virus. That means “we can control it through targeted local action instead,” Johnson said.
“Next week we’ll publish draft regulations which clearly set out how central government can intervene more effectively at a local level,” he said.
He said local lockdowns in England will rely on a strong test and trace system. To that end, he promised to increase coronavirus tests to 500,000 a day by the end of October.
Boris Johnson: Local lockdowns ‘may seem unjust’
Johnson said: “It isn’t easy and for some it may seem unjust that people just a short distance away can live their lives as normal.” But he said targeted action was now more appropriate.
Johnson also confirmed that he would make £3bn extra funding available for the NHS. The government hopes this will ensure it can deal with a second wave of coronavirus cases in the winter.
“It’s possible that the virus will be more virulent in the winter months,” he said.
He said the specially-built Nightingale NHS hospitals will be maintained until the end of March next year and that the health system now has just under 30,000 ventilators to use.
The speech came after the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance yesterday said the UK had not achieved a good outcome when dealing with coronavirus.
“It’s very difficult to know exactly where we stand at the moment. It’s clear that the outcome has not been good in the UK,” Vallance told MPs yesterday.
There have been more than 45,000 coronavirus deaths in the UK, according to government figures. That is one of the worst tallies in the world.