A decision taken at the last minute. Faced with an increase in cases of the new coronavirus, the British government postponed Friday, the next stage of deconfinement and imposed new restrictions on certain areas of the North of England particularly affected.
With nearly 46,000 deaths of people testing positive for the virus, the United Kingdom has the heaviest toll of the pandemic in Europe. The number of hospital admissions and deaths continues to fall, but contamination is on the rise for the first time since May. Criticized for having delayed reacting at the start of the pandemic, Boris Johnson's government now insists on wanting to react quickly and has multiplied the announcements in recent days.
A postponement of at least two weeks
Faced with the press, the conservative leader postponed for at least two weeks the next easing planned for Saturday, explaining that with "these figures which are increasing, we believe that we must press the brake pedal to keep the virus under control ".
Casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and beauty salons were to reopen on Saturday as well as theaters. Wedding receptions of up to 30 people were also to be re-permitted. The return of the public which began in recent days in the sports arenas, during cricket matches and the world snooker championships in particular, has been canceled.
Applied for now to businesses, the obligation to wear a mask will also be extended from August 8 to other places such as museums, cinemas and places of worship.
"I know that the steps we are taking will be a real blow to a lot of people, to all those whose marriage plans have been disrupted or who cannot now celebrate Eid as they would like," admitted Boris Johnson. . “And I'm really, really sorry, but we just can't take a chance. "
"Limits" of deconfinement
In a weekly study published on Friday, the National Bureau of Statistics (ONS) concludes that there is an increase in contamination with the new coronavirus. According to the ONS, between July 20 and July 26, there was about 0.78 new Covid-19 contamination per 10,000 inhabitants in England, or about 4,200 new cases per day. This is an increase from the estimated 2,800 new cases per day the previous week.
"What we are seeing from the ONS data and other data is that we have probably reached the limits of what we can do in terms of opening up the company," said alongside Boris Johnson Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty. In the face of the upsurge in Covid-19 cases, new restrictions have been imposed on residents of parts of northern England since Friday.
Residents of Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire are now prohibited from meeting other people inside their homes or in their gardens. The new measure affects around 4 million people. The Scottish government now advises against travel to these areas.
"To ensure that it does not add to their problem and to minimize the risk of further transmission here, the Scottish Government STRONGLY advises against non-essential travel between Scotland and these areas of northern England," the First announced. Scottish Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Twitter.
Faced with the increase in the number of cases of the new coronavirus in Spain, the British government has also imposed since July 26 two weeks of quarantine on travelers from Spain, catching thousands of tourists already there and others who were preparing for it. Travelers arriving from Luxembourg will also have to self-isolate for 14 days.
The Tory leader has warned that other countries could follow suit, forcing Britons tempted to go abroad to think twice, especially if their profession does not allow them to telecommute. “We are seeing these increases around the world, and we can't make the mistake of thinking of ourselves as safe,” said Boris Johnson. "We must be ready to react at the first signs of problems.
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- England
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