Coronavirus lockdown could last six months, says deputy chief medical officer
The coronavirus lockdown could last up to six months or “plausibly” longer, according to deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries.
In a press conference today, she said: “Over time, probably over the next six months, we will have a three week review [of the lockdown].
“So I think three weeks for review, two or three months to see whether we’ve really squashed [the curve of the spread of Covid-19].
“But about three-to-six months months [of lockdown] ideally, but lots of uncertainty in that.
“It is plausible that it could go further than that.”
It comes as the government’s leading epidemiology adviser Professor Neil Ferguson told the Sunday Times that it was “optimistic” that the UK’s lockdown measures would end by May, and that early June was more likely at the earliest.
Boris Johnson has also written to every household across the UK, telling people the coronavirus outbreak would “get worse before it gets better”.
Housing and communities secretary Robert Jenrick announced at the press conference today that every region in the UK has been placed on “an emergency footing” for the first time since World War II.
Jenrick also said today that “strategic coordination centres” involving armed forces, police and fire brigades were now working across the country.
“These groups are planning the local response to the virus using their expertise, their judgement and their leadership to ensure a comprehensive coordinated and consistent response across the country,” he said.
Jenrick added that the government has also created “a national supply distribution response team” made up of armed forces and emergency service members to deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals across the country.
He said all 58,000 all NHS and health care providers will receive medical supplies from the scheme.