Boris Johnson unveils Coronavirus Alert System & timeline for re-opening

[Gimme More 35,802]

In the past half hour, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given his statement on the roadmap for the future of lockdown in England.

So what did he announce?

-A new Covid Alert System will track the virus in England

-The PM says it is "not the time to simply end the lockdown this week"

-People should now be "actively encouraged" to go to work if they cannot work from home, but they should avoid public transport

-From Wednesday, people in England can take "unlimited exercise", including sitting in your local park or driving to destinations for exercise

-Schools could return on 1 June, with primary schools opening first, but that date is the "earliest" it could happen

-Parts of the hospitality industry and more shops could open from July, dependent on the data

-People coming to the country by air will be put in quarantine 

-Johnson says he “will not hesitate to put on the brakes” if there are further outbreaks of the virus

Video:

In depth:

Spoiler

Boris Johnson has proposed three steps to ease Britain out of the coronavirus lockdown, beginning with a relaxation of the rules on exercise from Wednesday.

The roadmap, which will be published in full on Monday, includes encouraging some people to return to work within the coming days, and the reopening of primary schools as early as June 1.

Mr Johnson said the gradual easing of the lockdown will be reliant on the country staying "alert" and following social-distancing rules to help keep the reproduction number of the Covid-19 virus below one - meaning that each infected patient transmits the virus to no more than one other person.

Here are the measures he announced during his address to the nation.

Alert System 

Mr Johnson announced that a five-tier alert system will inform the public of the extent to which the virus is under control, with each level corresponding to actions the Government will take to help reduce the spread of infections. 

He announced that the country is currently operating at level four, or "red", meaning that the reproduction rate of the virus has been above his target level of one in some areas of the country, but the NHS has significant capacity available in the event of an increase in infections.

The Covid Alert Level will inform the Government “how tough we have to be in our social-distancing measures – the lower the level the fewer the measures,” Mr Johnson said. “The higher the level, the tougher and stricter we will have to be.”

He added that thanks to the “sacrifice” of the public during lockdown “we are now in a position to begin to move in steps to level three”.

Level three, or "orange", under the new system, means that the Government could soon introduce relaxations beyond the more minor changes he announced on Sunday.

Work

Office-based employees who can continue to work from home are advised to do so. In fact, Britons could be given a legal right to work from home to ensure that they are not forced to go back to workplaces after the lockdown under plans being considered in Whitehall.

During his address Mr Johnson said we are now at the stage where anyone who can’t work from home, such as those in construction or manufacturing, should be “actively encouraged to go to work”.

This should be done in a safe manner, he said, urging workers to avoid using public transport if possible, “because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited.”

“When you do go to work, if possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle,” he said.

Mr Johnson added that if you can work from home, you should continue to do so.

Guidance has been issued to employers to make workplaces “Covid-secure”, Mr Johnson said. The Government will recommend that offices are recalibrated to allow for social distancing. 

Employers are expected to be instructed to implement staggered arrival and departure times for those who have critical roles in business or who cannot work from home – with workers advised to use the stairs instead of lifts.

Draft "safer-working" recommendations include installing plexiglass screens between desks in offices and requiring workers not to sit face-to-face, but back-to-back or side-to-side. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is also likely to recommend that lifts should only be used half-empty, hot-desking should be abolished and workers should not share equipment, including pens and staplers.

Meetings will be advised to take place remotely wherever possible and employers will be encouraged to provide hand sanitiser and properly ventilate buildings.

Companies will be asked to provide face coverings for staff who are required back at work. The Prime Minister was expected to announce that although face coverings will not be made compulsory for people in England, they should be worn at work, on public transport and while out shopping. 

Mr Johnson did not address the issue of face masks during his address. But the Cabinet Office has commissioned and paid for machines to make face coverings so that businesses can obtain them directly from the Government.

Many outdoor workers have continued in their roles throughout the crisis but the Government is said to be keen to encourage those back to work “who never should have stayed at home in the first place”, according to one cabinet minister. “In engineering, car manufacturing, textiles and construction, where social distancing can be implemented, then workers will be encouraged back to the factory floor.”

New Government guidelines state that cleaners and nannies can now return to work in people's homes as long as they are not displaying symptoms of coronavirus and everyone in the house is also well.

Schools

In the second step of the Government’s plan, primary schools could reopen in a phased manner as early as June 1, as this newspaper revealed last week.

However, the Prime Minister hinted this could happen even earlier. He said: “In step two – at the earliest by June 1 – after half-term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6.”

The Prime Minister added that for secondary school pupils taking exams next year, they hope they will “get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays”.

He added that they will be setting out guidance to schools on how this would work. 

The Government has faced resistance on reopening schools from unions who insist they will not consider a return until a “test and trace” scheme for Covid-19 is in place for schools.

Last week, Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said there was “no doubt” that reopening schools would increase the R value - despite pupils returning to class in European countries like Denmark and Switzerland. 

On Wednesday, a poll found that the majority of parents would not send their children back to school as soon as they reopen.

Friends and family 

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, has spoken of a possible scheme under which Scots could be allowed to see a “bubble” of friends and family. In Westminster, discussions have centred on allowing households in England to join up with one other such group, but no such plans were announced by the Prime Minister, amid fears the risks would be too high.

Fines for breaching the lockdown rules were also increased to £100 for a first offence and up to £3,200 for serial offenders. 

“You must obey the rules on social distancing and to enforce those rules we will increase the fines for the small minority who break them,” Mr Johnson said.

Ministers want police to be able to crack down on "the small minority who break the rules", at a highly sensitive time for the country, as they attempt to ease some restrictions while keeping the spread of the virus under control.

Travel 

The Prime Minister announced that visitors coming to Britain will be quarantined in a bid to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus. 

He said: “To prevent reinfection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time – with transmission significantly lower – to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air.”

Travellers arriving in the UK will be required to fill in a digital form and declare an address where they will then be expected to self-isolate for 14 days, as revealed by The Telegraph.

Visitors could face fines of up to £1,000 and even deportation if spot checks later find they have flouted the rules. Heathrow Airport is expected to begin temperature checks this month. 

Meanwhile, commuters could be asked to book a slot at railway stations through their smartphones as part of efforts to stop overcrowding once coronavirus lockdown measures start to lift, industry sources have suggested.

It is understood that carriers are considering introducing an app in order to gauge how many people may be travelling through stations at any one time.

One industry source said that slots could be registered to people’s ‘smart cards’ so that they could only tap in during their allotted travel time. 

Suggestions that look set to be introduced first include queuing systems and one-way routes through stations and on train carriages.

Pubs, Clubs & Hotels

Bars, cafes and restaurants will remain closed but can provide takeaway and delivery services. 

But in step three, at the earliest by July, if the conditions set out by the Prime Minister are met, they would support the reopening of “at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing,” he said. 

Mr Johnson acknowledged how hard the lockdown has been for the for the country, calling it a “colossal cost to our way of life”. 

He said: “We can see it all around us in the shuttered shops and abandoned businesses and darkened pubs and restaurants.

Shops considered non-essential, including clothing retailers and hairdressers, will also remain shut. Ministers are beginning to encourage firms to offer such services, with George Eustice, the Environment and Food Secretary, stating on Friday that McDonald's drive-through restaurants were "made for the social distancing situation we are in".

Shops

Garden centres will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday if they comply with specific social-distancing rules, including controlling the number of customers on their premises at any one time. Ministers and officials have been warned that failing to allow nurseries to open imminently would result in the collapse of many such firms given that the period from April to June is the industry's peak period

Gyms and leisure centres 

The Prime Minister said people would be allowed to “take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise” but they will have to maintain the two-metre social distance and only participate with household members.

It means sunbathing in the park, driving to other destinations and the reopening of some outdoor sports facilities such as tennis, golf and angling.

The rules governing social distancing will be enforced with fines for those breaching coronavirus lockdown rules increased to £100 for a first offence and £3,200 for serial offenders.

It is hoped doubling the fine each time a person who repeatedly flouts rules to stay at home will give police greater powers to punish those ignoring warnings they could be spreading the coronavirus and putting lives at risk as well as stretching NHS resources.

[Randomperson 1,272]

Is this not clear to anyone else? Hairdressers & barbers etc can’t work from home but technically they are shops, what does this mean for them? I just want a haircut 

[Gimme More 35,802]

9 minutes ago, Randomperson said:

Is this not clear to anyone else? Hairdressers & barbers etc can’t work from home but technically they are shops, what does this mean for them? I just want a haircut 

It's clear Hairdressers/Barbers will not be able to work because of the close proximity and it'd be unsafe. Plus it's not really essential for us to get haircuts by a professional, it's not really worth the risk - btw i'm not being shady.

Boris is apparently answering questions in Parliament tomorrow and public questions tomorrow evening - so hopefully we find out more then!

But basically things are near enough the same, we just now know a potential timeline 

[StuckInMyMind 5,930]

He is so full of s**t... like the rest of the government 

People can return to work and there’s no risk yet, being in such an open space like a park is considered a risk because you might bump into someone... BALONEY 

[Dante 878]

The new "stay alert" message is bollocks. People are already breaking lockdown rules and this is just gonna make the thick shits think they can start going out doing more. I hate my country 

[StuckInMyMind 5,930]

Just now, Dante said:

The new "stay alert" message is bollocks. People are already breaking lockdown rules and this is just gonna make the thick shits think they can start going out doing more. I hate my country 

The thing is, where I live, a lot of people have continued going about their normal lives and leaving their homes, yet we’ve had 87 deaths and haven’t had any new deaths or cases for 6 days... so I honestly don’t believe that staying home is what is making the numbers fall.

[PhuckGagaDaily 481]

This is absolute bonkers. He really did not learn anything from being in that ICU, shame

[StuckInMyMind 5,930]

1 minute ago, Jewelsdelove said:

This is absolute bonkers. He really did not learn anything from being in that ICU, shame

Because he wasn’t really there.. we saw no symptoms either before or after he was supposedly admitted to hospital, but even when recovering from any kind of virus, there would always be obvious signs of a prior illness, even during recovery 

[Dante 878]

Just now, BellatrixLestrange said:

Because he wasn’t really there.. we saw no symptoms either before or after he was supposedly admitted to hospital, but even when recovering from any kind of virus, there would always be obvious signs of a prior illness, even during recovery 

As soon as they announced he had the virus I was like yeah bullshit does he. And then he's supposidley in the ICU and recieving oxygen and 3/4 days later he's out and he's fine. Then he appears in public looking perfectly healthy?? 

When you've got people saying even weeks later they're still feeling the effects of the illness it really does make you question it doesn't it. 

Imagine if it was all a big lie and the proof gets out, Johnson and the Tories would be ****ed. Or probably not because the morons would for some reason still vote them in 

[Lady Rah Rah 2,013]

He basically just re-iterated what we already knew...waste of time tbh. I'm just so sad we have the biggest death toll behind the US cause they acted too slowly.

[Maleficent 6]

inb4 they’re planning on ppl to break the rules bc they want the virus to spread and achieve herd immunity but can’t outright say that 

[GregJA 5,556]

From Wednesday, people in England can take "unlimited exercise", including sitting in your local park or driving to destinations for exercise

I know he means differently but  it just reads as if sitting and driving are exercise 

locking people up in their homes all around the world was never the best solution, and to be angry that people are going out is a bit over the top. 
just be smart, aware, wash your hands and don’t touch your face (protect the vulnerable). The worlds gotta start moving again sooner or later and might as well just start. 

[Dante 878]

7 minutes ago, GregJA said:

From Wednesday, people in England can take "unlimited exercise", including sitting in your local park or driving to destinations for exercise

 

I know he means differently but  it just reads as if sitting and driving are exercise 

 

locking people up in their homes all around the world was never the best solution, and to be angry that people are going out is a bit over the top. 
just be smart, aware, wash your hands and don’t touch your face (protect the vulnerable). The worlds gotta start moving again sooner or later and might as well just start. 

You know what I'd love to go out and see my friends and my family but I don't. Stopping the spread of the virus so as not to overload the health care system is the reason lockdowns have been put in to place. Am I personally worried about getting sick and/or dieing from it? No, but there are countless people who are at major risk. 

My mum is classed as high risk, she hasn't left her home in almost 2 months. And even when rules start to relax I still won't be able to go and see her nor will she be able to leave the house because if she was to get coronavirus it would kill her. The more people continue to break lockdown rules because they can't cope with being told what to do and acting out like petulant little children the longer this will go on for all of us.

So if you wanna say getting angry at people going out is over the top then you're entitled to your shitty opinion but just think before you speak because for some people this whole situation is very hard.

[GregJA 5,556]

31 minutes ago, Dante said:

You know what I'd love to go out and see my friends and my family but I don't. Stopping the spread of the virus so as not to overload the health care system is the reason lockdowns have been put in to place. Am I personally worried about getting sick and/or dieing from it? No, but there are countless people who are at major risk. 

My mum is classed as high risk, she hasn't left her home in almost 2 months. And even when rules start to relax I still won't be able to go and see her nor will she be able to leave the house because if she was to get coronavirus it would kill her. The more people continue to break lockdown rules because they can't cope with being told what to do and acting out like petulant little children the longer this will go on for all of us.

So if you wanna say getting angry at people going out is over the top then you're entitled to your shitty opinion but just think before you speak because for some people this whole situation is very hard.

I’m aware the lockdowns were mainly for preparing the healthcare systems and not overloading them (which we’ve now done)

I know it’s severity - and it is bad for everyone - but especially those vulnerable.

People breaking quarantine might make some politicians decide to extend lockdown (most do not think that way) but it will not be the cause of this to continue going on longer.

For those vulnerable and for everyone- this is here until we have a vaccine, people gain some sort of immunity (mainly vaccine) and therapeutics. 
which... take time. Whether you have no one break the rules or a handful of people breaking the rules, the end result comes with the vaccine which takes time. No actions of people affect the time of the vaccine arriving. So this is not longer or shorter depending on those few people.

Am I worried about getting it? Yeah a bit as a germaphobe, am I worried about those vulnerable? Yep - just like I said in my original post. Am I careful? Yep! Even tho it’s being lifted I follow all the plans, I haven’t seen friends or most of my family in almost 2 months, I only leave once every two weeks to get groceries and then I come back. 

It’s  not a shitty opinion, it’s just fact. And I think about this - more than I (mentally) should. 

[StuckInMyMind 5,930]

56 minutes ago, Maleficent said:

inb4 they’re planning on ppl to break the rules bc they want the virus to spread and achieve herd immunity but can’t outright say that 

Well herd immunity has been the way for years, the illness goes around the family and then it’s done with.,. Maybe not the worst idea