What is a firebreak lockdown and will there be one in October?
THERE could be an October "firebreak" lockdown, the government has announced.
But what exactly is a firebreak lockdown? Here's all you need to know.
What is a firebreak lockdown?
A firebreak lockdown is essentially the same as a circuit breaker measure, but is typically a shorter length of time.
Both terms describe a short, sharp mini nationwide lockdown.
A firebreak is a term that comes from firefighters who clear land of trees and vegetation to stop a fire spreading.
In the same way a firebreak lockdown will see restrictions in place to stop the virus spreading.
It will last for a period of about two weeks, but a circuit breaker is likely to last longer.
Aimed at helping to regain control of Covid, the action is used to save lives and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.
Will the UK go into another firebreak lockdown in October?
It was revealed on September 6, 2021, that the government has drawn up plans for a potential October lockdown if hospital admissions continue increasing and putting a strain on the NHS, .
A full lockdown is unlikely and would be a last resort, however there are a range of measures the government could introduce.
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A Sage source said: “This is essentially the precautionary break that Sage suggested last year.
“It would be sensible to have contingency plans, and if a lockdown is required, to time it so that it has minimal economic and societal impact.”
The Government scientist added that while Covid deaths are significantly higher than at the same point 12 months ago, they would have to rise five-fold to match those experienced in late October 2020.
They added: “We are going to be at a peak, albeit an extended peak, quite soon, so it’s not really the same situation as last year, when failure to reduce prevalence would have resulted in collapse of NHS and people dying in car parks.”
When was the Welsh firebreak lockdown?
Wales was plunged into a full national lockdown from 6pm on Friday, October 23, 2020.
Restrictive measures were in place until the start of Monday, November 9, 2020.
All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses closed for two weeks.
It meant people in Wales had to:
- Follow strict stay-at-home orders
- Pubs, restaurants and all non-essential retail were closed
- No meeting with anyone outside your household
- No alcohol sales after 10pm
- Leisure centres and services, including gyms, had to close
- Professional sports was able to continue
- Hairdressers and beauty services had to close
- No gatherings were allowed outdoors including Halloween and fireworks on Bonfire night
Where else has used a firebreaker lockdown?
Wales was the second nation in the UK to lock down large swathes of its economy to combat rising coronavirus infections.
At the time, England opted to go with a tiered system instead.
Schools in Northern Ireland also shut after a four-week circuit breaker closure began on Monday, October 19, 2020.
Northern Ireland also banned most social gatherings and shut down many businesses including bars and restaurants for a month.
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Elsewhere, circuit breaker style measures have also been imposed in New Zealand, parts of Australia and Israel - but all were extended to last significantly longer than originally intended.
Singapore was placed into a quick lockdown of a month, which was then extended to two months.