Boris Johnson announces new Covid-19 alert system for England

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has imposed a tiered system of further restrictions on parts of England including shutting pubs, to curb an acceleration in Covid-19 cases, although anger is rising at the cost of the curtailment of freedoms.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech to the House of Commons screened on a TV in the Richmond Pub, Liverpool. Photo: AFP

Johnson announced a new three-tiered system on Monday in an attempt to standardise a patchwork of often complicated and confusing restrictions imposed across England.

MPs will vote on the move on Tuesday.

The lockdowns will include shutting pubs and bars in areas placed in the “very high” alert level from Wednesday.

The other alert levels in the new system are “medium” and “high”.

So far, Merseyside in northwest England – which includes the city of Liverpool – is the only area classified at the “very high” level.

Gyms, leisure centres, casinos, betting shops and adult gaming centres there will also close, Johnson said.

“We must act to save lives,” Johnson told parliament, adding that he did not want another UK-wide lockdown and that he understood the frustrations of those chafing at the “repressions of liberty”.

“If we let the virus rip, then the bleak mathematics dictate that we would suffer not only an intolerable death toll from Covid, but we would put such a huge strain on our NHS (National Health Service) with an uncontrolled second spike that our doctors and nurses would simply be unable to devote themselves to other treatments.”

Health officials say the latest data showed infections were rising across the north of England and in some more southerly areas too, while the virus was creeping up age bands towards the elderly from those aged 16-29 years.

A street sign in Liverpool, north west England. Photo: AFP or licensors

Manchester intensive care consultant Jane Eddleston said 30 percent of critical care beds were taken up with Covid-19 patients and this was starting to affect healthcare for others.

“This is not how we want to live our lives but this is the narrow path we have to tread between the social and economic trauma of a full lockdown and massive human and indeed economic cost of an uncontained epidemic,” Johnson said.

“The weeks and months ahead will continue to be difficult and will test the mettle of this country,” he said.

But as millions of people across the United Kingdom grapple with restrictions, the hospitality sector says it is being brought to its knees by the government.

Karen Strickland, landlady of The Grapes pub in Liverpool, said their income was already down by 70 percent with the current enforced countrywide closing time of 10pm, and the government’s support scheme help was not enough.

“It’s absolutely horrendous,” she said, adding it made no sense to single out pubs.

Under the new restrictions, however, pubs that serve a main lunchtime or evening meal will be allowed to stay open, although they will only be able to serve alcohol as part of such a meal.

– Reuters