Brits will be forced to live with coronavirus restrictions throughout 2020 — and lockdown may be tougher in some areas
BRITAIN will have to live with many of the coronavirus restrictions throughout 2020 as ministers adopt a “suck it and see” strategy to slowly see what works.
Instead of any clean end to lockdown, senior government figures last night braced the nation to expect a very long path out of it through the summer and deep into the autumn.
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It emerged last night that Downing Street has even banned the term ‘exit’ from its own lockdown planning.
No10 officials now refer to what happens after the current three week extension that ends on May 7 as “next phase”.
A “suck it and see” plan is now being drawn up based on scientists’ data crunching to see what restrictions to try easing first.
One senior figure told The Sun: “We will try a bit at a time, and then pause, so we can see what effect that has on the transmission rate. The pace will be very gradual".
'SUCK IT AND SEE' PLAN
While a few restrictions may be eased next month, such as allowing some smaller shops to reopen, the PM’s official spokesman yesterday confirmed there will be no “wholesale” lifting of them.
There are also plans being drawn up to toughen them in areas where the virus’s spread is still alarmingly high - with concerns over a lack of face masks and PPE for NHS workers.
One Whitehall source said yesterday there are “three different epidemics right now”, where the virus is spreading at different rates – slower in the wider community, but faster in care homes and in hospitals.
Two scenarios thought likely by insiders now are schools only returning at the earliest after the half-term break on June 1.
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The other is many people being asked to still work from home into the summer too so crowded public transport can still be avoided.
The latest government thinking comes despite the spiralling damage lockdown is doing to the economy.
After it emerged recuperating Boris Johnson himself has deep fears about ending the lockdown prematurely, the PM’s official spokesman said: “The big concern is a second peak. That is ultimately what will do most damage to health and the economy.
“If you move too quickly, the virus will start to spread exponentially again.
SECOND PEAK 'BIG CONCERN'
“Lifting social distancing measures wholesale, could lead to the virus spreading exponentially again.”
The quad of senior ministers in charge of the coronavirus fight in the PM’s absence have tasked the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) to try to work out how the Covid-19 transmission rate is affected by the easing of different measures.
SAGE meets again today, chaired by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, but it is expected to be “several weeks” before enough data is gathered to provide an accurate assessment.
As well as their 9.15am meeting, the quad – Dominic Raab, Michael Gove, Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock – also now meet at 6pm daily to discuss the exit strategy.
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Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden also said spectator sports events would not be allowed to reopen any time soon, with stadiums now likely to be closed until the Autumn at least.
He said: “You wouldn’t expect us to permit mass gatherings at a first stage”.
Mr Dowden dubbed easing restrictions too early as “the worst thing we could possibly do” as a second peak would send the country “right back to square one again”.
That would spark the need for “potentially even more draconian measures”, he added.
Mr Dowden went on: “We said right at the beginning of this, and the Prime Minister said, he expected the peak to last around three months.
“What’s happened is consistent with that.”
It emerged yesterday that Britain’s coronavirus strategy is now closest to France’s, which has a similar infection path.
On Sunday night, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced that cafes and restaurants will remain closed for months and masks are likely to become mandatory on public transport.
While saying supermarkets can reopen next month, Mr Phillipe added: “Our life from May 11 will not be like our life before, not immediately, and probably not for a long time.
"We'll have to learn to live with the virus."
Former Chancellor Philip Hammond warned he expects Britain will suffer a “U shaped” Covid economic slowdown.
And he urged ministers to spell out to businesses how they may ease the lockdown to help the economy bounce back as best it can.
He told a Chatham House webinar: “I think those forecasting a V shape recovery are probably erring on the side of optimism.
“I suspect it is more likely that it will be something of a U-shape recovery.
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"But there is no doubt in my mind that how steep the recovery slope is will depend on how well business to respond when the government gives the signal, and how soon the government is able to give that signal.”
Mr Hammond said it feels like the Brits have been “anesthetised to the economic consequences” of coronavirus because of the jumbo bailouts the Treasury have ordered.
But as the death toll goes down, the public will demand the government focuses on saving the economy.
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