Boris Johnson promises four-week lockdown is long enough to save Christmas

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BORIS Johnson today promised a four-week lockdown IS enough to tackle the coronavirus as he confirmed a fresh plan to save Christmas.

He addressed the nation at a press conference hours after pubs, restaurants, non-essential retail and most other businesses were forced to close today and Brits were given fresh stay at home orders for four weeks.

Boris said four weeks was long enough to have an impact on the virus
There are thousands of people in hospital with coronavirus

The PM appeared beside chief exec of the NHS, Simon Stevens, who warned of the winter pressures on the NHS.

There are now more than 11,000 people in hospital with coronavirus, the latest figures showed today.

Mr Johnson told the nation: “These measures, though tough, are time limited.

“Four weeks is enough for these measures to make a real impact.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

He added: “I have no doubt people will be able to have as normal a Christmas as possible and we will be able to get things open before Christmas as well.”

Ministers are working on a joint approach to the Christmas period “so that families can come together wherever they live.”

And he said: “If we work together, I have no doubt we can make a real real impact.”

Brits are worried the four-week lockdown is going to have to be extended if the infection rate doesn’t come down – which could affect Christmas and the upcoming holiday period for millions of people.

Sir Keir Starmer said yesterday that the lockdown should remain in place if the R rate remains above one.

MPs voted for the national lockdown measures last night, with a handful of Tory MPs rebelling and voting against the Government’s shutdown.

Mr Johnson has vowed the tough rules will only last until December 2 as they will automatically expire, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of extending them if the situation appears bleak.

It comes as:

  • Rishi Sunak announced today the furlough scheme – which pays workers up to 80 per cent of their salary, up to £2,500 a month – will be extended through to March
  • Stats bosses have bashed the Government’s scientific advisers for their use of data during the Covid-19 outbreak – as MPs demanded they get access to more vital health information
  • Simon Stevens said yesterday he was putting the NHS into the top alert level from today

VACCINE HOPE

The PM raised hopes tonight that a coronairus vaccine will be rolled out within the coming weeks.

He said that the “number of shots raining down on the goal is very considerable… and one of them is going to get though soon.”

COLD WINTER

The Chancellor warned of a bleak winter ahead as he extended furlough today.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he said: “We saw from the first lockdown, the economic effects are much longer lasting for businesses and areas than the duration of any restrictions.

“Given this significant uncertainty, a worsening economic backdrop, and the need to give people and businesses security through the winter, I believe it is right to go further.”

Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told a parliamentary committee earlier this week that if the NHS did become overwhelmed it would crucially threaten the ability of all Brits to be able to access healthcare.

A doomsday presentation from Professor Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance predicted the NHS would be flooded with sick patients and unable to cope by the beginning of December if no lockdown was brought in.

One extreme forecast from the boffins said as many as 4,000 people could day a die without lockdown – but this was later blasted as out of date.

And earlier today the Office for Statistics Regulation today took a swipe at Sir Patrick and Mr Whitty, saying the use of data “has not consistently been supported by transparent information being provided in a timely manner”.

Yesterday the pair insisted current infections justify a second lockdown to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed.

They said the tier system was not working fast enough to stop wards from becoming dangerously full.

The chief medical officer told the Science and Technology Committee yesterday the situation will “steadily get better” from early next year.

He said: “Anyone who thinks about this would be very confident that over the next year, probably even sooner than that, you will have multiple shots on goal from science.

 

“There will be a rolling through of the extraordinary scientific effort that is currently going on.

“So I am very confident we will get medical countermeasures. What we have to do is hold the line until that point.”

Professor Whitty said there is “realistic” chance England would be released from the lockdown after four weeks.