Boris Johnson has postponed easing
the coronavirus lockdown and readied
the country for an autumn without
seeing friends or family.
The prime minister warned of “trade-
offs” ahead yesterday and delayed the
lifting of restrictions in England for at
least two weeks after a surge in the
number of Covid-19 cases.
At a Downing Street press confer-
ence after households were banned
from meeting each other at home in
parts of the northwest, Chris Whitty,
the chief medical officer for England,
bluntly warned that the country had
“reached the limits” of reopening.
“If we wish to do more things in the
future we may have to do less of some
other things,” he said. “The idea that we
can open up everything, and keep the
virus under control, is clearly wrong.”
Mr Johnson said the return of pupils
was a national priority but that in other
areas freedoms were “conditional”.
Privately, government sources say that
No 10’s strategy is to keep schools open,
even if that means reducing the free-
dom of households to socialise, to allow
workers to keep the economy moving.
Mr Johnson also tightened the rules
Chris Smyth Whitehall Editor
Oliver Wright Policy Editor
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LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGESon face coverings, which will become
compulsory from a week today in
museums, galleries, cinemas and other
indoor public spaces where strangers
mix.
The latest figures from the Office for
National Statistics reveal that new
infections have doubled since the end
of June to about 4,200 a day.
Mr Johnson said that the govern-
ment “can’t afford to ignore this
evidence” and postponed for at least
two weeks the return of casinos, bowl-
ing alleys, skating rinks, indoor theatres
and concerts. However, workers are
still being encouraged back to offices
from Monday and the lifting of restric-
tions on shielding will continue.
In other developments:
6 The country’s death toll rose by 120 to
46,119, with confirmed coronavirus
cases increasing by 880 to 303,181.
6 The government’s scientific advisers
said that the military should be on
standby amid a risk of disorder not seen
since the 2011 riots.
6 The prime minister was accused of
anti-Muslim discrimination over the
tightening of restrictions in parts of the
northwest hours before the start of the
religious festival Eid al-Adha.
Downing Street is alarmed by the
Continued on page 2, col 3Hot pursuit Jessica Walker, of Lido Ladies London, at Hillingdon leisure complex in
the west of the city yesterday — the hottest day of the year so far at 37.8C. Page 21PM slams
brakes on
easing of
lockdown
Tighter rules on masks as infections double
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