Coronavirus: Strict Measures Could Last ‘Significant Period’
The UK is facing a “significant period” of strict measures to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove who spoke on the BBC this morning. He declined to predict exactly how long the instructions to stay at home could last, saying the date the virus peaked would depend on how people behaved.
Mr Gove said it was “vitally important” to follow social distancing rules.
The number of people who have died with the virus in the UK has reached 1,228 – an increase of 209 since Saturday.
There are now 19,522 confirmed cases in the UK, latest figures show.
The 190 people who died in England in the last day were aged between 39 and 105, the NHS said. All of them had underlying health conditions apart from four, who were aged between 57 and 87.
It comes as Boris Johnson has written to all UK households saying the crisis will get worse before it gets better.
In the letter, being sent to 30 million homes, the prime minister warned stricter restrictions could be put in place if necessary.
Meanwhile, members of engineering businesses have told the BBC the UK will not have enough ventilators in time for the peak in the number of virus cases.
Tough measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people and the closure of shops selling non-essential goods, were introduced last week.
People were also told they should only leave the house for four reasons: shopping for basic necessities, exercise, any medical need and travelling to work if you cannot work from home.
Experts expect coronavirus cases and deaths to keep rising for the next two to three weeks, before the effects of social distancing measures and restrictions on everyday life begin to have an impact.
How much longer?
Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show how long the measures might go on for, Mr Gove said: “So I can’t make an accurate prediction but everyone, I think, does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place.”
“I wish I could predict when this will end, but it’s vitally important that at the moment and for weeks ahead the people maintain the strict social distancing guidelines that have been laid out.”
Mr Gove said the peak of the crisis would depend “on all of our behaviour”. “It’s not a fixed point, a date in the calendar,” he said, “it is something that all of us can affect by our actions.”