A five-step plan for imposing local lockdowns in the case of coronavirus spikes has been announced by the government – as the chief medical officer warned of a potential second wave.
Boris Johnson said the approach is now moving to a local focus rather than locking down the entire country.
Speaking at a Downing Street coronavirus briefing, the prime minister said the five-step plan will include: monitoring, engagement, testing, targeted restrictions, and "as a last resort", local lockdowns.
And chief medical officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, urged people to keep following social distancing rules as lockdown restrictions are further eased from Saturday, with pubs, restaurants and hairdressers allowed to reopen.
He said: "If individuals, families and firms do not take them seriously the possibility of a second wave goes up sharply.
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"The virus is a long way from gone, it's not going to be gone for a long time.
"Nobody watching this believes there are no risks in the next step."
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Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, also warned of the danger of "superspreading" of COVID-19 occurring in pubs.
The five steps for introducing a local lockdown:
Monitoring
Public Health England (PHE) will work with the joint biosecurity sector by looking at data on the spread of coronavirus and people's behaviour across the country.
They will look for emerging trends, rising cases and other indicators, while taking into account local factors.
Engagement
If monitoring identifies local problems, NHS Test and Trace and PHE will work with the relevant local authority to develop a deeper understanding of the problem and identify solutions.
They will work with local agencies to keep the local community informed at every stage so they know what they need to do.
Testing
Testing at a local level will then be scaled-up, combined with contract tracing through NHS Test and Trace to try to control the virus at that stage.
Targeted restrictions
If the virus continues to spread, activities at particular locations will be restricted and individual premises will be closed.
Hotspots will have access restricted, with people who have spent time there tested and contact tracing carried out for anyone who tests positive.
Local lockdown
If the previous measures do not stop the spread, local lockdowns will be extended across whole communities, with businesses and schools shut down as people are urged to stay at home.
Mr Johnson said the government is "continually exploring smarter means of containing the virus".
The prime minisRead More – Source
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