- The UK has decided to introduce other strict measures to combat coronavirus.
- It is planning to delay the opening of schools and enforce strict quarantine measures.
- In the UK, five people with the virus have died and 319 confirmed cases.
- UK Foreign Office warned British residents against travel to Italy and canceled flights.
- The UK is currently in the first phase – “containment”, government’s four-part plan.
- PM has suggested the elderly and vulnerable stay home in the near future.
- The country has also imposed travel restrictions on its citizens and people entering the country.
According to an article published in BBC News, United Kingdom’s decision to delay closing schools and introduce other strict measures to combat coronavirus has been defended by England’s deputy chief medical officer.
Target to achieve balanced response
Dr. Jenny Harries said experts are assessing new cases on an hourly basis to achieve a “balanced response“. She told BBC Breakfast new measures could follow as UK cases begin to rise rapidly over the next two weeks.
In the UK, five people with the virus have died. There were 319 confirmed cases as of now.
Dr. Harries said, “The vast majority of those diagnosed with coronavirus in Britain is pretty well but that they may feel a bit rough for a few days. Within 10-14 days we will be likely to advise people with symptoms to self-isolate and we are expecting that start of the peak [of coronavirus cases] to come during that period.“
Dr. Harries said canceling big outdoor events like football matches would not necessarily be a decision supported by science. She added, “The virus will not survive very long outside. Many outdoor events, particularly, are relatively safe.“
Italy on lockdown mode
Dr. Harries’ comments come as the UK Foreign Office warned British residents against all but essential travel to Italy and airlines canceled flights.
British Airways has canceled all of its flights to and from Italy, while Easyjet canceled the majority of its flights to and from Milan, Venice, and Verona. It said customers due to fly to or from Italy before 4 April can rebook to a later date until the end of May, move their destination to Geneva or Zurich, or receive a full refund.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The advice is that anyone who arrives from Italy subsequent to the Italian government decision should now self-isolate for 14 days.“
Enforcement of strict quarantine measures
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered the country’s entire population to stay home, seek permission for essential travel and justify leaving the country.
The NHS has unveiled a range of measures as part of its response to try to stop fake news being spread about coronavirus on the internet. The NHS said it had worked with Twitter to take down an account claiming to be a hospital and spreading false information, while it is also speaking out against homeopaths promoting false treatments online.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the actions meant the public could access accurate health information “which is more crucial than ever as we continue our response to coronavirus“.
UK initiates the first phase for containment
The UK is currently in the first phase – “containment“ – of the government’s four-part plan. The health officials said people who showed even minor signs of respiratory tract infections or fever would soon be told to self-isolate for seven days in an effort to tackle the outbreak.
The change in advice could happen within the next 10 to 14 days, the UK’s chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty said. It came after researchers in the US found it took five days for most people with coronavirus to show symptoms.
Elderly and vulnerable to be confined
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also suggested the elderly and vulnerable could be asked to stay home in the near future. The UK government has also announced it is to extend shop delivery hours to ensure that supermarkets have basic items, amid stockpiling concerns.
The environment department, Defra, said by allowing night-time deliveries – currently restricted to avoid disturbing locals – stock would be able to move more quickly from warehouses to shelves.
Air traffic affected
He has also written to the European Commission, asking for rules on take-off and landing slot allocations at major airports to be relaxed during the outbreak.
Under European law, if flights are not operated, slots have to be forfeited. Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it has been forced to operate some near-empty flights after bookings were dented by the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, US authorities are expected to fly home Britons who were on board the virus-hit Grand Princess cruise ship later, according to the Foreign Office. There were 142 British people on the ship, which spent five days stranded off the coast of California.
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Source: BBCNews
