Coronavirus: Local lockdowns could be implemented in England
English towns and cities could be placed back into full lockdown to suppress coronavirus “flare ups”, according to communities secretary Robert Jenrick.
The local lockdowns would be implemented as a part of the government’s Covid-19 track and trace programme, which could be introduced as early as tomorrow.
It will mean schools and non-essential retail businesses, which will begin to re-open next month as the government eases social distancing restrictions further, would have to be shut once again.
Jenrick told the BBC that the track and trace programme will be able to identify increases in coronavirus infection rates in towns or cities across England.
“That enables us then to take action in that place which will be restrictive on the individuals who live and work there,” he said.
“But as a result of that we’ll be able to provide greater freedom to millions of other people across the country, enabling us to continue to ease the lockdown, ease the return to school, to work and to the daily activities that we all want to get back to.”
The government’s second stage of its “roadmap” to easing the lockdown will begin on 1 June as some primary school students will be returning to classes.
On 15 June, non-essential retail businesses will be allowed to open and some secondary school students will be told to return to classes.
The track and trace system will use 25,000 recruited contact tracers, who will identify anyone who has been in contact with someone who is suspected to have coronavirus.
Boris Johnson said at last week’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) that the system would be “world beating” and would be able to track at least 10,000 infections a day.
It was originally supposed to launch with an NHS app, however it is yet to be rolled out after problems with its Isle of Wight trial.