The respite was short-lived: since Friday, September 18, a large part of the United Kingdom (all of the north-east of England) is again subject to restrictions. Pubs and restaurants, which were not authorized to reopen until early July, must adhere to a curfew and close at 10 p.m. Meetings between different households are now prohibited.
The British government, however, put in place on Monday a “rule of six” for all of England (gatherings are limited to six people from two different homes, indoors and outdoors). But in those regions where infection rates exceed 100 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, he felt that this measure was not enough.
From Newcastle to Northumberland, via Durham, nearly 2 million Britons are affected by this return to partial confinement and more than 9 million including the inhabitants of the agglomerations of Manchester and Birmingham, already subjected since the end of August to restrictions greater than the rest of the national territory.
Avoid a second wave
Boris Johnson was slow to put in place general containment in March and the “first wave” claimed the lives of nearly 42,000 Britons (the heaviest toll in Europe). He now wants to act quickly to avoid a second wave. The situation is worrying in the north of England but it is also deteriorating elsewhere in the country: infection rates, high among young people, are starting to rise in older populations: it is now 23.4 cases per 100 000 people among 40 to 49 years, for about 3,500 positive cases recorded Thursday.
The Prime Minister is not immune to criticism, however, while the infection tracing system, essential to keep the epidemic under control, is largely undersized. This spring, Mr Johnson had promised a system “Among the best in the world”, and at the end of August, Downing Street still communicated on a goal of several million tests carried out per day in the fall. We are clearly far from it: the testimonies of citizens unable to access a test have multiplied in recent days.
Some have spent hours trying to get a kit shipment or an appointment for an online test (on the government platform). Often in vain. The lucky ones were offered dates several dozen – even hundreds of kilometers from their homes. In Cardiff or Bristol for residents of Greater Manchester, in Aberdeen (north-east of Scotland) for residents of Kent (south-east of the country) …
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