Plan for the worst, hope for the best, says Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has used a press conference to confirm additional funding for the NHS and reveal further plans to ease lockdown in England.

The Prime Minister said that, while national lockdown was the right thing to do at the start of the pandemic, the government is now pursuing a more appropriate form of targeted local action. Pointing to the work being done, and health improvements being witnessed in Leicester and Blackburn, Johnson said that next week the government will publish ‘draft regulations which clearly set out how central government can intervene, more effectively at a local level, when justified by the evidence’.

Local lockdowns could see government-enforced action on ‘whole sectors, or types of premises in an area; introduce local stay at home orders, prevent people entering or leaving defined areas, reduce the maximum size of gatherings beyond national rules or restrict transport systems, serving local areas’.

As revealed in the build up to the press conference, the government will be providing an additional £3 billion of funding for the NHS in England to get ready for winter. This will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector, and also to maintain the Nightingale hospitals, until the end of March.

Using the mantra of ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’, which he stated at several points, Johnson also announced that, from 1 August, the government will update its advice on going to work - giving employers ‘more discretion and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely’. This could see the end of many employees working from home, although he did say that home working remains a safe option for many.

Other timeframes include a return to using public transport, from today, and the opening of indoor gyms, pools, sports facilities from 25 July. Additionally, large venue gatherings will be trilled, with a view to open in Autumn, with schools, colleges and nurseries also set to open to all, as normal, from September.

Shielding will be paused at the end of the month, but can be restarted at any point if needed. Like all the guidance, Johnson said, the measures are conditional.

James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, said of the announcement: “Locally-led responses have proven to be the best way to tackle significant outbreaks, which this framework rightly emphasises. Councils know their local communities best and know how to address each unique outbreak. It is good that this framework also acknowledges the tireless efforts of councils already to try and contain and prevent local outbreaks.

“Greater powers for councils to take swift and effective action to address local outbreaks will hopefully help avoid the need for more stringent measures to be imposed locally. Managing local Covid-19 outbreaks will always need to build on the consent of local communities and an effective system of tracing and testing. The use of enforcement powers should be an option of last resort where individuals or organisations are unable, unwilling or opposed to taking actions that reduce the spread of this virus.

“Data flow to councils has improved, including the introduction of daily updates. Further improvements to this, including granular-level data, to councils are still needed so they are better able to act in real time to increases in infection rates and help prevent the spread of further infection. This would help councils be even more prepared ahead of any possible deadly second wave of Covid-19.”