The British government is taking more stringent measures to stem the new advance of the coronavirus. “We are at a dangerous tipping point, and we need to act now,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in parliament.
There is no new lockdown, but the British have to work from home as much as possible, and the pubs close at 10 pm. Johnson warns that the new measures may be in effect for six months. If they are not enough to limit the degree of contamination, they can be further tightened.
“A dangerous tipping point”: this is where the British find themselves, now that the number of coronavirus infections continues to increase significantly on the other side of the Channel.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the Cobra crisis committee this morning. There, stricter measures were agreed, which the prime minister explained in parliament this afternoon. Tonight he also wants to address the population to make clear to the British the seriousness of the situation.
In the past few days, between 3,500 and 4,000 new infections have been added daily in Great Britain. Health experts warned earlier this week that the country is heading for 50,000 new cases a day by mid-October if more stringent measures are not taken.
Johnson has now announced those stricter measures. For example, the pubs, cafes and restaurants will close at 10 pm. Service is done at the table, and hangers are no longer possible.
The British will also have to wear a mouth mask on public transport and in the taxi. The number of people allowed to attend a wedding will be halved, from 30 to 15. An earlier plan to allow spectators again in sports stadiums is put “on hold”.