By The UK lockdown and other Covid-19 questions
One of the primary criticisms which has emerged since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak surrounds the lack of clarity from the government – so we’ve summarised the UK lockdown and answered a few other reoccurring questions.
In last night’s statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the most stringent and life-changing restrictions on daily life for a minimum of three weeks. He called the outbreak “the biggest threat this country has faced for decades.”
The Prime Minister previously admitted being outdoors was “crucial for health, physical and mental wellbeing”, but warned people not to think that “fresh air in itself automatically provides some immunity”.
These changes come after Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the government would “enforce and bring in further strong measures if we need to – but I’d much rather people follow the rules themselves, it would be much more straight forward.”
Simply put, people are now only allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons: to shop for essentials, to visit health services, for one form of exercise per day, and to travel to and from work if there is absolutely no possibility of working from home.
The PM said that even these actions should be done “as little as you can.”
All public gatherings of more than two people have been banned. This includes weddings and baptisms, but excludes funerals.
The official advice from the government and the World Health Organization is that the incubation period for those with symptoms of Covid-19 is 14 days. However, other researchers have suggested that 24 days may be necessary.
It takes around 5 days for symptoms to surface. They can be expected to remain for around a week.
It is not yet clear whether you are immune from coronavirus once you have recovered from having it. However, the evidence surrounding other similar viruses such as Sars suggests that reinfection is uncommon. There have been cases of reinfection with Covid-19, but those people were no longer infectious.
Vets and garages are to remain open. Any existing deliveries from non-essential shops can be expected to go ahead, but those making new purchases should expect severe delays.
Cabinet Minister Michael Gove has confirmed that “where parents do not live in the same household, children under 18 can continue to be moved between their parents’ homes.”
The police have been given the power to enforce ‘stay at home compliance’ by issuing fines and disbanding gatherings.
Boris Johnson concluded by saying that:
“Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of the virus, the NHS will be unable to handle it. That would be a moment of real danger.
It is vital to slow the spread of the disease, in order to reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment at any one time. That is why I am giving the British people one simple instruction: you must stay at home.
I urge you, at this moment of national emergency, to stay at home, protect our NHS, and save lives.”
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