London extends containment, aims to reopen schools and shops in early June

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Primary stores and schools will be able to open in the UK in early June if progress is made in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that the confinement decreed on March 23 will be extended by then .

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A total of 31,855 people who tested positive for coronavirus died in the United Kingdom, the second most bereaved country after the United States. Despite a drop in the number of deaths and hospitalizations, the guidelines put in place at the end of March remain in force, with some easing, announced the conservative leader.

"  Although we have made progress in meeting at least some of the conditions I have set, we have by no means fulfilled all of them. And so this is not the time this week to end containment,  ”said Boris Johnson in a television intervention.

However, he hopes to be able to gradually reopen stores and primary schools, starting with kindergarten and end of primary school classes in early June.

Then a month later, in early July, "if all the conditions are met" and based on scientific advice, the government hopes to "reopen at least part" of cafes and restaurants and other public places. These could be cafes with terraces or outdoor spaces allowing customers to respect social distancing measures.

In addition, the government plans "soon" to introduce a mandatory quarantine period for travelers arriving in the UK by air, he said, without giving a date or details on the measure. "  No quarantine measure will apply to travelers from France at this stage,  " said the French presidency, after an interview between Emmanuel Macron and Mr. Johnson.

The population is for the moment called to continue its efforts with a nuance: if teleworking is always recommended, those who cannot work from home are now "actively encouraged" to go to work, from Monday. They are however asked to avoid public transport and to maintain a distance of two meters between each individual. To make it easier for them, the Minister of Transport announced Saturday the creation of bicycle paths and the widening of sidewalks.

Sunbathing allowed

Little consolation for the English: they can leave their homes to exercise as much as they want and sunbathe. "  Starting this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to exercise more outdoors, and even unlimited,  " said Boris Johnson. However, the fines will be increased for those who do not respect the rules of social distancing.

To alleviate containment, the government wishes to proceed in stages, with a new alert system on the level of danger posed by the pandemic. "  For the moment, we think that the country is at four on a scale of five, five being the (level the) most worrying, and we want to reduce it as quickly as possible to three,  " explained the Minister responsible for Communities , Robert Jenrick, on the Sky News television channel, Sunday.

"  And, at each stage, we will be able to open up and restart more aspects of the economy and our lives,  " he said.

The government may take specific measures in certain regions, depending on the local situation. The change of speech of Boris Johnson, who no longer calls to "stay at home" but to "remain vigilant" to "control the virus", has left skeptical the leaders of the other constituent nations of the United Kingdom, Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland. The slogan is "vague and imprecise," said Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

With a view to deconfinement, the government has increased its screening and tracing capacity and wants to reach 200,000 daily tests by the end of the month.

Like many other countries, the United Kingdom intends to rely on a tracking application, which is currently in the testing phase on the Isle of Wight (south), before a possible generalization in a few weeks.

(With AFP )

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