COVID-19: UK PM Johnson announces new three-tier approach to fight pandemic

With Liverpool emerging as the city in the highest risk category, the British government on October 12, divided England into three tiers based on the risk of coronavirus. According to the reports by AP, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that this three tier system has been designed with the aim to “simplify and standardize” various crucial rules. Hospitals are now filling up with more COVID-19 patients than when the nationwide lockdown was imposed in the month of March.

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(Members of the entertainment industry stand on Matthew Street in Liverpool. Image Credits: AP)

(Commuters walk across London Bridge during the morning rush hour. Image Credits: AP)

England battles coronavirus

According to a tally by the John Hopkins University, England has a total of 617,688 cases with 42,875 fatalities. During a televised news conference, Johnsons said, “These figures are flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet, and we must act now”. Britain had successfully curbed the spread of the lethal respiratory infection, however, cases soared in the past few weeks. The number of positive cases almost doubled to 6,000 per day, hospital admissions, especially in Northern England and London.

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As per the new system, areas in England are divided into three categories- Medium, High or Very high risk. According to these categories various restrictions have been placed. Areas in the lowest tier will have to follow the existing national restrictions which includes a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants and also ban on more than six people gathering. In the high risk areas, members of different households are barred from meeting indoors. However, the “very high” risk tier will face the most restrictions, including closing pubs and local authorities can also order to close other venues such as gyms and casinos.

As of now, Liverpool has emerged as the only high-risk area. While social interactions have been prohibited, shops, schools and universities will remain open in all the areas. Professor of outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool and a member of the advisory committee, Calum Semple said, “I and other people who were advocating for quite stringent severe local interventions where necessary three to four weeks ago, our fear is that we’re in another place now”.

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(Image Credits: AP)