Johnson tells UK: Stay apart or face tougher coronavirus measures

[webfact]

Johnson tells UK: Stay apart or face tougher coronavirus measures

By Andy Bruce and Elizabeth Howcroft

 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference on the ongoing situation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in London, Britain March 22, 2020. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain may need to impose curfews and travel restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus if people do not heed the government's advice on social distancing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday.

 

Pubs, clubs and gyms have already closed, but social media on Sunday was awash with pictures of people congregating in parks and food markets, apparently ignoring advice to stay two metres apart.

 

Parks in London are already closing down as authorities struggle to slow the advance of coronavirus through the population, the biggest public health crisis since the influenza pandemic of 1918.

 

So far 281 Britons have died from coronavirus. The spiralling number of infections means Johnson is in a race against time to prevent a repeat of the tragedy in other countries, including Italy where the death toll reached 5,476 on Sunday.

 

Johnson was blunt as he delivered his message to the public.

 

"Stay two metres apart. It's not such a difficult thing. Do it," he said.

 

"Otherwise.... there is going to be no doubt that we will have to bring forward further measures and we are certainly keeping that under constant review."

 

Johnson said tougher measures such as curfews needed to be timed right for maximum impact.

 

"After all, when the epidemic is hardly spreading at all that's not the moment to impose curfews and prohibitions on movement and so on and so forth," he said.

 

"You've got to wait until, alas, it's the right moment to do it and that's always been how we've been guided."

 

FAR, FAR MORE NEEDED

The latest official statistics show the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 5,683 on Sunday, up from 5,018 on Saturday - a more rapid increase than in either China or Italy at the same stage, according to a Sky News analysis.

 

Speaking alongside Johnson, communities minister Robert Jenrick said the government will write to 1.5 million of its most vulnerable citizens to demand they stay at home for the next 12 weeks to shield themselves from the virus.

 

Senior doctors in Britain are already thinking about how they may need to ration critical care beds and ventilators if resources fall short.

 

Johnson, who has asked British manufacturers to produce ventilators for coronavirus sufferers at short notice, said "far, far more" would be needed.

 

Britain said on Friday that engineering companies had come up with an emergency ventilator prototype to treat coronavirus patients that could be approved next week, though one industry source told Reuters full production was several weeks away.

 

Around 12% of adult critical care beds in hospitals in England are occupied by patients with COVID-19, England's deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries, said while speaking alongside Johnson.

 

"That will change drastically as we go through the epidemic," she added.

 

(Writing by Andy Bruce; Editing by Kate Holton/Guy Faulconbridge/Andrew Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-23

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[Justgrazing]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

So far 281 Britons have died from coronavirus

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

The latest official statistics show the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 5,683 on Sunday, up from 5,018 on Saturday - a more rapid increase than in either China or Italy at the same stage, according to a Sky News analysis

 

The mortality rate is following Italy also on the known numbers infected and it'll ramp up over coming days .. The P M won't have much option other than to order people off the street's and impose curfews as a lot of folk aren't taking it seriously enough judging by the way the parks and countryside were swamped over the weekend .. 

Folk need to focus on what is happening before it too late .. 

 

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

Britain said on Friday that engineering companies had come up with an emergency ventilator prototype

F1 teams , Aerospace companies and some household UK engineering names are involved in the ventilator production issue now ..

[terryw]

Yesterday, there were traffic jams in Snowdonia. Crazy people!

[soalbundy]

should reduce the stabbings.

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, terryw said:

Yesterday, there were traffic jams in Snowdonia. Crazy people!

Yup going walking in the mountains, fresh air, exercise and plenty of space to avoid others.

[Chomper Higgot]

"After all, when the epidemic is hardly spreading at all that's not the moment to impose curfews and prohibitions on movement and so on and so forth," 

 

What nonsense is this?

 

The virus is spreading at a rate mirroring the experience of Italy, it’s just the people being infected as Johnson runs his mouth aren’t yet showing symptoms.

 

Lets see what Johnson has to say in a couple of weeks from now.

 

[natway09]

Poms & Ozzie, they just will not be told, must something in the genes 555

[marko kok prong]

Lockdown, NOW,or face the same spread the Italians are now enduring.

[Thingamabob]

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

"After all, when the epidemic is hardly spreading at all that's not the moment to impose curfews and prohibitions on movement and so on and so forth," 

 

What nonsense is this?

 

The virus is spreading at a rate mirroring the experience of Italy, it’s just the people being infected as Johnson runs his mouth aren’t yet showing symptoms.

 

Lets see what Johnson has to say in a couple of weeks from now.

 

Boris is following the science. The big problem for any UK government in this situation, of whatever political colour, is that  the mentality of day's Brits is shallow, me-first, and thick.

[Baerboxer]

38 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Boris is following the science. The big problem for any UK government in this situation, of whatever political colour, is that  the mentality of day's Brits is shallow, me-first, and thick.

 

The same as Australians and Americans!

 

Or perhaps rather more distrusting of news, media, politicians and the medical profession "experts" than some in other countries who have been turned into sheeple.

 

Unfortunately the selfish, panic buying and hoarding, is by-product of today's consumerism and elitism.

[nauseus]

9 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Yup going walking in the mountains, fresh air, exercise and plenty of space to avoid others.

Or infect others.

[melvinmelvin]

 

some staying apart measures here;

 

 

also,

some dire measures taken re alcohol in Westminster

 

fancy that, MPs having to address corona/covid completely sober,

will that improve the outcome from HoC or the opposite or maybe same same

 

[Laughing Gravy]

23 hours ago, pdtokyo said:

I must be getting the CV19 Jitters ... read ...

 

Johnson tells UK: Stay apart or face tougher coronavirus measures

... and immediately i got really cranky at the very idea he would use the virus as a reason to justify Brexit ...

 

... back to the breathing exercises ...

 

But he didn't, you did in a very cheap and poor attempt to correlate the two.

 

For 4 years we were told those who voted remain where significantly more intelligent and you have clearly shown that myth to be untrue.

 

BJ is trying to stop the spread but he is relying on the stupidity of the people to be rational and compliant.

 

Sadly in this narcissistic world and culture I think he will have to be firmer and make it law that people stop doing the stupid things they are currently doing if greater control on the virus takes place.

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Laughing Gravy

[webfact]

topic continues here:

UK PM Johnson orders Britons: you must stay at home

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1155446-uk-pm-johnson-orders-britons-you-must-stay-at-home/

 

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