Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says councils will have power to shut businesses and cancel events
Author: Liss Morales | Friday 17th July 2020
Aims to control future COVID-19 outbreaks include shutting down businesses, restricting travel to certain areas and cancelling events according to the Prime Minister.
In the latest statement, Boris Johnson outlined his hope of a “more significant return to normality” by Christmas by setting out plans to hand powers to local councils to contain flare-ups.
Johnson also set out the latest roadmap for lifting restrictions in England, which includes:
- Reopening of close contact beauty treatments, casinos, bowling alleys and ice-skating rinks from August 1;
- Permitting of wedding receptions for up to 30 people;
- The piloting of larger gatherings in venues like sports stadiums;
- The restarting of indoor performances, subject to the success of trials
The Prime Minister also advises that from August 1 there would be updated government advice on people going to work. He said, “Instead of government telling people to work from home, we are going to give employers more discretion, and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely”.
"That could mean of course continuing to work from home, which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees. Or it could mean making workplaces safe by following COVID-secure guidelines."
Johnson, speaking on public transport, added that “anybody may use public transport, while of course encouraging people to consider alternative means of transport where they are available.”
It was expressed that the Prime Minister hopes that these changes and precautions will "allow a more significant return to normality from November at the earliest, possibly in time for Christmas". However, he warned that he would “not hesitate at any stage to put on the brakes” on easing the lockdown in order to prevent the virus spreading.
"If we continue to pull together as we have done so far, I know we can beat this virus," he said.
"Hoping for the best, but planning for the worst - and it's in that spirit that we must carry on waging this long, hard fight against coronavirus."
