After Boris Johnson was accused by opposition leaders of providing mixed messages over his roadmap for easing lockdown, the Prime Minister attempted for the third time in 24 hours to explain what the new government guidelines mean in practice. Johnson used the daily press conference – alongside chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific officer Patrick Vallance – to take questions from members of the public.
After confusion this morning over how many people from a different household an individual can meet outside, Johnson confirmed that it could only be one member of another household at any one time. When it comes to the long-term picture, Johnson said that he could not guarantee there would be a vaccine to coronavirus – but said that his government was doing all that it could to increase the chance of one being found. Professor Whitty said he was optimistic that some form of effective treatment would be found to the virus. Either way, Johnson suggested firms would have to start thinking of ways to make their business ‘Covid-secure’.
With the devolved administrations voicing concerns over the direction of Johnson’s government over lockdown easing, any hope of the whole of the United Kingdom moving as one is all but gone. This issue was raised by a man by the name of John in today’s Q&A – as a resident in Scotland, he asked who he ought to listen to: Johnson or Nicola Sturgeon? The Prime Minister answered by saying he believed England still had much in common with Scotland on lockdown responses. However, it cannot be denied that the First Minister’s decision to take her own course – with a more cautious lockdown – has complicated the communications challenge the government faces. Ministers are bracing themselves for a bruising few weeks.
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