Johnson Appeals for Unity As England Enters New Lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a united effort to tackle the growing incidence of coronavirus infection, as 56 million people in England went into a second lockdown, but the population was tired of restrictions and feared for their livelihoods.

Renewed home-stay restrictions and business closures have come into effect on Thursday and are expected to last for four weeks, although there has been some skepticism that they will avoid the worst death toll from the virus in Europe, reports AFP.

“While it pains me to have to ask once again for so many to give up so much, I know that, together, we can get through this,” said Johnson, whose government sets health policy in England.

“We can do this, we will do this by December 2nd,” he told a news conference, promising that compliance could see people enjoy “as normal a Christmas as possible”.

The latest lockdown came into force at 0001 GMT Thursday and by daybreak had turned normally bustling cities into ghost towns.

“You can’t imagine from yesterday to today how different it is. It’s completely dead now,” Maria Belkihel, 42, told AFP in London’s best-known shopping spot, Oxford Street.

The Bank of England unveiled an extra œ150 billion ($195 billion) in economic support, on top of new Treasury measures to subsidise the wages of furloughed workers until March 2021.

Johnson said the package showed his government will “continue to support people affected by these new restrictions”.

The government also declared that passengers arriving in Britain from Germany and Sweden would self-isolate for 14 days from 0400 GMT Saturday, the most recent countries withdrawn from the coronavirus travel list.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab started to isolate himself after he came into contact with someone who was confirmed positive for Covid-19, the spokesman said.

“He will continue to work remotely during this time,” he added.

– Economic concerns mounting –

Johnson abandoned a recently introduced system of regional curbs and announced the shutdown after dire warnings that hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases.

Simon Stevens, the head of the state-run National Health Service (NHS) in England, urged compliance and warned: “This second wave of Covid is real and it is serious.”

“Today’s infection is the intensive care order book for a fortnight’s time,” he added, noting the total number of patients admitted to hospital had shot up from below 500 in early September to more than 11,000.

Opinion polls suggest overall public backing for the revived stay-at-home policy.

However, there are growing worries about the effect on the economy and mental health, and hundreds of lawmakers in Johnson's ruling Conservative Party rebelled against the new measures during a vote in Parliament on Wednesday.

On Thursday night, protesters gathered in central London to protest the new lockdown, and the police said they had detained more than 100 people, most of them for violating the new restrictions.

To avoid extending the lockdown, Johnson is pinning his hopes on an ambitious new programme of Covid testing to detect and isolate infected people, starting with a city-wide trial launching in Liverpool on Friday.

Approximately 2,000 military personnel are mobilized to support the pilot, who can recognize promising cases even in people without symptoms.

The government has invested œ12 billion on testing projects, but researchers say that most members of the public are unable to completely isolate or report on their interactions.

– ‘100 percent culpable’ –

Britain has reported nearly 48,000 coronavirus-related deaths in more than one million positive cases: 492 deaths on Wednesday – the highest since May.

As in March, when the first shutdown was ordered, the critics accused Johnson of failing to heed government scientists' warnings and acting too late.

The new restrictions put England into line with other regions of the United Kingdom, which have their own legislatures, and with nations in Europe, including France.

They involve coming to work from home when possible and closing all non-essential shops and services.

Schools will remain open. Exemptions include outdoor exercise and visits to the doctor or pharmacy.

Michael Eppy, a public relations expert on his way to a medical appointment, said: “I don’t think anyone is particularly happy about the lockdown.”

Doubting Johnson’s assurances of a four-week limit, Eppy, 35, said: “However long this lockdown lasts, it is this government that is 100 percent culpable.”