SENIOR ministers from across the UK have made clear there is “zero chance” of the current coronavirus lockdown restrictions being lifted any time soon as the police crackdown on people flouting the rules is set to intensify to coincide with the Easter weekend.
This afternoon, Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, deputising for Boris Johnson as he recuperates in hospital from the symptoms of the virus, will chair a virtual meeting of the emergency Cobra committee with attendees including Nicola Sturgeon.
No decision is expected to be made at the meeting, which will discuss the effects of the lockdown based on the latest medical and scientific data to see if and when any of the restrictions can be eased or indeed if any should be strengthened ahead of the expected formal announcement next week.
However, from ministerial comments this morning it seems clear there is no chance of the lockdown being lifted soon.
Yesterday, the UK saw its highest daily increase in virus-related hospital deaths at 938, pushing the total to over 7,000. However, a cause for hope is that the daily infection rate appears to be slowing, suggesting the attempt at flattening the curve of infection is working thanks to the public observing the Government’s instructions on self-isolation and social distancing.
Yet the restrictions face their toughest test so far over the Easter weekend. Temperatures in some parts of the country are set to reach a balmy 25C, threatening to tempt more people to break the stay-at-home rules.
The UK Government is expected to launch a media blitz in the next 24 hours to urge people to stick to its instructions and not allow the progress made thus far to be set back. The issue of the Easter lockdown is expected to dominate this afternoon’s daily Downing St press conference.
Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, took to the airwaves this morning to urge the public not to give up on the measures during the test of the long weekend as he predicted they would not be eased next week.
"I don't think it's very likely these measures are going to be changed given they're just starting to have an effect but, as we said, we would review them," he told BBC News.
"It's only prudent that on an ongoing basis we review them after three weeks," the Secretary of State explained.
He went on: "We are beginning to make progress on this, we've not seen the acceleration you would have expected had we not introduced this, the curve is beginning to flatten. This is the moment that we need to stick to the path we've chosen.
"The British people have really come behind this, we shouldn't be giving up this Easter weekend, that is the number one thing."
Mr Dowden insisted the reason to hold off on making the decision until next week was because they were following the "proper process" and not because ministers were waiting for the return of the Prime Minister, who he described as doing "reasonably well" in a stable condition. Last night, Mr Johnson was said to be improving and was sitting up bed “engaging positively” with his doctors.
The Welsh Government has already announced an extension of lockdown measures. Vaughan Gething, the Welsh Health Minister, insisted there was "virtually zero prospect" of experts advising that UK-wide measures could be eased yet; he said they would remain in place for "a number of weeks".
Ms Sturgeon echoed the sentiment, telling Sky News: “I don't think there is any possibility, any likelihood of these lockdown measures being lifted immediately or even imminently.
"We don't yet really have enough data from what has happened so far to know for sure the impact they are having and, of course, we continue to see the number of deaths from coronavirus rising," added the First Minister.
And in a sign that the police are poised to take an even tougher approach to those who disregard the Government’s instructions, Nick Adderley, the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire, made clear his force would now ramp up the enforcement of coronavirus regulations.
He emphasised how the "three-week grace period is over" and people in the county could now face fines or a criminal record.
Mr Adderley noted how a small number of people had been flouting the regulations with some having “baited” officers.
He said the force could have to resort to more extreme measures such as road blocks and searching shopping trolleys should people continue to break the rules.
"These are not guidelines anymore. This is the law,” declared the police chief.
"We haven't issued any fixed penalty notices but we have charged a number of people with Covid-related offences. We've had examples of people sunbathing in the park, having barbecues in the park, we've had large gatherings of family members.
"To those people, I am saying: 'Your time is up,'" he added.
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