• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Raab says ‘our plan is working’ but too early to relax lockdown

Dominic Raab said there were some signs that the UK was ‘starting to win this struggle’.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-04-14 08:08
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

The Government has insisted its plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic “is working” but warned the nationwide lockdown will not be lifted this week.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab showed some cautious optimism as he revealed the latest data suggested the UK was “starting to win this struggle”, three weeks after restrictions were imposed.

But he insisted the virus was not yet past its peak and that it was “far too early” to talk about relaxing the measures, with reports suggesting the lockdown will be extended for at least another three weeks.

Speaking at Monday’s Downing Street press conference, he praised the public for staying at home over the Easter weekend, and added: “Our plan is working.

Crisis

“Please stick with it, and we’ll get through this crisis together.”

Details of how the lockdown will eventually be lifted remain unclear, however, with the Government repeatedly refusing to outline its “exit strategy”.

Scientists advising the Government are expected to meet this week to review the latest figures, but Mr Raab insisted it was crucial that “we do not take our eye off the ball” with regards to social distancing.

RelatedPosts

Victory for Burnham as Manchester bus fares capped at £2 for adults and £1 for children

Labour membership down 91,000 under Starmer

‘Much-loved’ elderly man stabbed to death in mobility scooter

Red tape latest: Cyclists may need number plates under new UK law

It came as the World Health Organisation said restrictions should be lifted slowly and not “all at once” to avoid a resurgence of the virus, and only if appropriate measures are in place, including “significant” capacity for contact tracing.

Coronavirus
A near empty Broadstairs beach during the sunny Easter bank holiday weekend (Victoria Jones/PA)

But experts have also warned that the public’s strong support to stick to the lockdown measures “won’t last” and the Government needs to find a way to tell the nation about how it will be eased.

Professor Linda Bauld, of the University of Edinburgh, said the public was now steeling itself for a continuation of the lockdown, amid an atmosphere where support for the measures remains high, compliance is generally good and concern about the virus is at the forefront of people’s minds.

“But this won’t last,” she warned.

“The social, economic and health effects of lockdown are accumulating.

“There will come a tipping point when the cost of the current restrictions outweighs the benefits.”

Transparent

She added: “Sooner rather than later, government needs to share the possible options with the public and be transparent about the costs and benefits of each, rather than continually evading questions on this, as is currently the case.”

The Government has also faced criticism over whether more lives could have been saved if the lockdown had been implemented earlier, as the Department for Health said 11,329 people had died in hospitals in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, with many more expected in care homes.

It means the UK has more recorded deaths than any country except the US, Italy, Spain and France.

But Mr Raab rejected any “like-for-like” comparison with other countries, saying it depended on each nation’s individual circumstances and how far along the coronavirus outbreak curve they were.

Meanwhile, questions were also raised about whether the number of coronavirus-related deaths in care homes was being properly recorded.

Industry bosses warned daily death tolls are “airbrushing out” hundreds of older people who have died in the care system, as the chief medical officer announced that coronavirus outbreaks had been recorded at 92 care homes in the UK in just 24 hours.

Speaking at the daily press briefing, Professor Chris Whitty said around 13.5% of care homes in the UK have registered an outbreak, and said he would like Covid-19 testing to be increased in care homes.

The Government also continues to face pressure over shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline NHS staff, as a growing number of health workers died.

According to The Guardian, the UK missed three chances to be part of an EU scheme to bulk buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers, with European medical staff set to receive the first of £1.3 billion-worth of PPE within days or a maximum of two weeks under the scheme.

In other developments on Monday:

– Mr Johnson continued his recovery from Covid-19 at Chequers in Buckinghamshire after doctors ordered the Prime Minister to rest.

– Spain, which on Sunday reported its lowest daily growth in infections for three weeks, allowed workers in some non-essential industries to return to factories and construction sites on Monday.

– French President Emmanuel Macron announced the extension of France’s strict lockdown until May 11, on his third televised address to the nation on the virus crisis from the Elysee palace.

– Italy recorded its lowest daily virus death toll in three weeks at 431, putting its total deaths at more than 19,800.

In his address, Mr Macron acknowledged “failures and deficiencies” in a reference to the lack of masks and other equipment.

As a response to the criticism that the country has not conducted enough coronavirus tests, he promised that by May 11, all those who have symptoms will be able to get tested.

Related – ‘UK missed three chances to join EU scheme to bulk-buy PPE’

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

No time to lie? Patel attended Bond premier because movie is ‘connected to her job’

Lucky Numbers and Horoscopes for today 13 April 2022

Right-wing YouTuber’s comments on mask wearing prompt viral response

Set For Life Results for Monday 21 March 2022 Tonight’s winning numbers

Beer of the Week – Hitachino Nest White Ale

Lucky Numbers and Horoscopes for today 5 July 2022

Open Bethlehem – Film Review

Vulnerable eight-year-old boy forced to sleep on a police station floor

What cost of living crisis? Huge pay packet of Tesco boss revealed

Arsene Wenger set to join former Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis at AC Milan

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.