SHOCK & AUTUMN
UK coronavirus restrictions could last six months, warns deputy chief medical officer
BRITS may not see their lives return to “normal” from the Covid-19 crisis for six months, a senior doctor warned tonight.
Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said the lockdown could last until the autumn — and perhaps even longer.
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Her stark warning came as the UK’s coronavirus death toll rose to 1,228 after another 209 people died from the outbreak today.
Dr Harries said it was impossible to say exactly how long the draconian measures imposed on Brits’ freedom of movement will need to be in place.
Medics and ministers will reassess them every three weeks, but we may face severe restrictions for the long haul, she warned.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, she said: “To make it clear to the public, if we are successful we will have squashed the top of that curve [of infections] which is brilliant.
“But we must not then revert to our normal way of living — that would be quite dangerous.
“If we stop, then all our efforts will be wasted and we could potentially see a second peak.
“So over time, probably over the next six months, we will have a three-week review, see where we are going, keep that lid on.
“Then gradually we will be able to hopefully adjust some of the social distancing measures and gradually get us back to normal.”
But she added: “And it is plausible that it could go much further than that.”
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Dr Harries explained there would be a review of the lockdown in three weeks, a review of the curve in two to three months, then one of the social distancing measures in up to half a year.
Her stark warning came as the UK’s coronavirus death toll rose to 1,228 after another 209 people died from the outbreak today.
There are currently 19,522 in Britain who have tested positive for Covid-19.
Among the deaths is a consultant, who has become the first frontline NHS worker to die amid the battle against coronavirus.
Amged El-Hawrani, 55, passed away last night at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
'TURN THE TIDE'
Previously, Boris Johnson had talked optimistically about being able to “turn the tide” on the outbreak within three months.
But Dr Harries’ sobering assessment suggests some Brits may be asked to stay home and not see their friends or family for far longer than that.
Dr Harries cautioned that she was not saying a full lockdown would definitely be in place for six months, but said the date is a “moving target”.
She said: “If we do well it moves forward and comes down.”
But she said it would be “foolish” to lift the lockdown too quickly as this would lead to another disastrous surge in infections.
And she warned they expect death rates to continue to climb for the next two weeks before the extreme social distancing starts to bring infection rates down.
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Meanwhile Sir Mark Walport, England’s former chief scientific adviser, said the country could keep switching between periods of full lockdown and looser rules to tackle the outbreak.
Cabinet ministers suggested Brits can help shorten the lockdown by sticking rigidly to the Government’s measures.
Michael Gove repeatedly refused to say when the nationwide shutdown might be lifted but said it is affected “by our actions”.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show: “It’s difficult to know precisely, it depends on the action that all of us take.
“If we practise the social distancing measures, if we follow the rules that the Government has outlined, if we follow that good scientific advice, then we can delay the infection rate and that gives our NHS the chance to become more resilient.
“So, the date of the peak depends on all of our behaviour. It’s not a fixed point, a date in the calendar like Easter. It is something that all of us can affect by our actions.”
'MORE AUSTERITY'
Mr Gove also hinted that Britain could be heading for a fresh bout of austerity once the crisis is over.
He said Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s generous jobs bailout packages will mean Britain will have to go on a borrowing spree.
But he insisted the Treasury is confident Britain will eventually be able to pay back the money once the nation gets back to work. And he said: “The most important thing at the moment is to save lives.
During the briefing, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said Britain has now been placed on an “emergency footing” to get vital food and medicine to vulnerable people in lockdown.
He said: “This is an unprecedented step in peace time, we haven’t done anything like this since the Second World War.”
Three-quarters of a million Brits have now signed up to be NHS volunteers to help the nation through the crisis — smashing the Government’s 250,000 target.
But ministers have faced growing criticisms that doctors and nurses have been left on the frontline without vital protective gear such as masks and goggles.
Addressing the storm directly, Mr Jenrick said the Government “will not stop” until all hospitals and social care settings get the vital gear they need.
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The coronavirus crisis has swept through the heart of government, with PM Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock testing positive.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack is in self-isolation with symptoms.
But the PM is still “firmly in charge” and running the national response via videolink from his Downing Street study, Mr Gove said.
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Michael Gove stifled a cough while live on The Andrew Marr Show after coronavirus swept through the heart of Government
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