England’s second lockdown could continue into 2021 with a relaxation period over the Christmas holiday, Cabinet ministers have suggested.
Boris Johnson announced over the weekend that the latest restrictions will remain in place until December 2, but the public have already been given a series of mixed messages over a realistic time frame.
Cabinet Ministers said it would be ‘very difficult’ to end the lockdown if Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths were still rising in a month, reports The Times.
They believe even if severe restrictions are extended, people will break the rules to spend time with family at Christmas and said the Government is reportedly considering lifting some measures during the festive break.
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On lockdown ending, one minister told the paper: ‘I think it’ll be after the new year. The rate of transmission is not going to go down enough to justify it.’
Another added: ‘There’s a lag to these things. The fear will be that in four weeks’ time deaths will be higher than they are now, which will give credibility to people who want to keep national measures in place.’
Michael Gove yesterday admitted the lockdown could be extended if the R rate is not successfully lowered by early December.
The Duchy of Lancaster said the Government will review measures after the four-week period and will be guided by the data.
Former Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Mark Walport said it is ‘obviously a possibility’ the winter lockdown could last longer than spring as this one is not as ‘severe’.
The lockdown in March had an initial timeframe of at least three weeks before they were extended for almost another four weeks. They were then eased slightly on May 10.
The biggest difference to the spring lockdown, is that schools, colleges, nurseries and universities will remain open throughout the next set of measures. After-school provisions and sports clubs will be suspended, but playgrounds and parks will remain open.
University students have been told not to return home during term time – but at this stage they will be allowed to leave campus for the Christmas holiday.
Sir Mark added: ‘[The R rate] is unlikely to come down as fast as it did during the first lockdown, simply because we have got schools open.
‘We have got more people working, and so the social distancing is not quite as much as the last period.’
The expert, who is part of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the virus is ‘unlikely to be completely controlled’ by the proposed end of the latest lockdown.
However, he was positive that ‘hopefully the numbers will be turning’ by then and that the measures ‘should be sufficient’ to get the R rate lowered.
Other differences to the first lockdown include that people will be allowed to leave their house to exercise as much as they want, contrasting with the ‘once a day’ rule in spring.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick also confirmed that members of the public will still be able to move, while football and other professional sports are allowed to continue.
Formal shielding has not been reintroduced for the vulnerable, however the age threshold for those in the category has been lowered from 70 to 60.
England will enter its second lockdown of the year on Thursday, with all non-essential shops, restaurants, pubs and gyms to close for four weeks.
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