Advertisement

Boris Johnson announcement: What are the new lockdown rules revealed by the PM today?

PA
PA

Boris Johnson has announced a new coronavirus crackdown to tackle the UK’s surging second wave of infections.

In a statement to the Commons this lunchtime, the Prime Minister unveiled a raft of measures designed to stem the rebounding virus, ahead of his address to the nation at 8pm.

"This is the moment where we must act," he said. "We've reached a perilous turning point."

He warned "drastic" restrictions such as a return to full lockdown would be "inevitable" if the new measures fail to reduce the R number - the rate of reproduction - below 1.

The Cobra emergency committee met on Tuesday morning - only ever convened at the junctures of major crises - with devolved leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all dialling in to discuss the road ahead.

It comes after the UK’s four chief medical officers moved the Covid-19 alert level from level 3 to 4, the second highest threat marker, meaning the “epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially”

Here's what you missed.

Boris Johnson is trying to avoid a complete second national shutdown (AFP via Getty Images)
Boris Johnson is trying to avoid a complete second national shutdown (AFP via Getty Images)

What did Boris Johnson say in his announcement?

The PM expanded on Number 10’s announcement late on Friday night that all pubs, bars and restaurants in England would be forced to shut at 10pm from Thursday.

All sectors of the hospitality industry will also be restricted by law to table service only.

Mr Johnson also emphasised the need for people to follow social-distancing guidance, wear face coverings and wash their hands regularly.

In a major U-turn on his message only three weeks ago, the PM also urged people to work from home where it does not hurt businesses.

What are the new lockdown measures?

The Prime Minister announced:

  • Face coverings will be mandatory for staff in retail, taxis, and staff and customers in hospitality except where seated to eat or drink

  • People should work from home if they can - where not possible they should continue attending workplaces

  • Pubs, bars, restaurants must close by 10pm from Thursday - full closure not last orders and must operate table service only

  • Businesses will be fined and could be closed for breaching "Covid-secure" guidelines

  • A maximum of 15 people will be allowed in wedding ceremonies and receptions, and a maximum of 30 for funerals. The rule of six is extending to all adult team sports

  • Business conferences, exhibitions and sporting events - including live spectators - will not be allowed, as planned, from 1 October

  • The first offence fine for failing to wear a face covering will double to £200

  • More police patrols to enforce restrictions and the military will be drafted in where needed.

However, the “rule of six” ban on social gatherings indoors or outdoors of more than six people was not tightened to ban households mixing, as in Northern Ireland.

There was also no requirement for people to begin shielding again, except for in local lockdown areas.

The new rules apply only to England, with Scotland and Wales announcing their own curbs later on Tuesday. Northern Ireland's first minister Arlene Foster announced a household mixing ban on Monday.

Pubs, bars and restaurants in England will have to abide by a 10pm curfew (Getty Images)
Pubs, bars and restaurants in England will have to abide by a 10pm curfew (Getty Images)

As more measures are announced, the Government will also still be hammering home its “hands, face, space” message as the most effective form of virus control.

Some 13.5 million people across the North West, North East, Wales, Birmingham, the Midlands, and parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland are already in local lockdown.

When do the changes come into place?

The new curfew and table service order for pubs will come into force on Thursday. It is unclear yet when the other measures will come into force.

But Mr Johnson said we should "assume" that the curbs will last six months.

In a stark warning of a second lockdown, he added: "I must emphasise, that if all our actions fail to bring the R [number] below 1, then we reserve the right to deploy greater firepower with significantly greater restrictions.

"I firmly want to avoid taking this step, as do the devolved administrations, but we will only be able to avoid it if our new measures work and if our behaviour changes."

Why are the changes needed?

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned we could be facing 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October and a daily death toll of 200 by mid-November "if we do not change course”.

Sir Patrick Vallance, speaking alongside Professor Chris Whitty at a Downing Street briefing on Monday, said the “vast majority of the population remain susceptible” to catching coronavirus and the current situation required swift action to bring the case numbers down.

The Goverment's top scientists warned the virus is spiralling out of control (Getty Images)
The Goverment's top scientists warned the virus is spiralling out of control (Getty Images)

The dire warnings prompted the UK’s four chief medical officers to raise the Covid alert level for the first time since June, writing: “After a period of lower Covid cases and deaths, the number of cases are now rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all four nations.”

The UK’s critical R number - the reproduction rate of the virus - has risen to 1.1-1.4, meaning every infected 10 infected people transmits the virus to between 11 and 14 others.

Another 4,368 cases were confirmed on Monday, with another 11 deaths.

Read more

Work from home U-turn as PM to set out tough new virus measures- LIVE

Gove says Brits should work from home as back-to-work drive ditched

London's biggest hospital set to reopen Covid intensive care ward

Police 'inundated with calls over rule of six breaches'