Stay Alert – British PM expected to unveil roadmap to instil confidence and ease restrictions

The British Prime Minister is expected to deliver an address to the nation at 7pm today in which he intends to unveil a “roadmap” setting out how to “unlock the various parts of the UK economy”.

The Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson’s roadmap is likely to be laced with measures intended to  confidence in the public that they can feel safe to emerge from their homes again when they are invited to do so.

Measures intended to encourage people to return to work to construction sites and factories in the knowledge that they would do so under strict guidelines on social distancing and hygiene.

This is likely to include the use of face coverings. Schools are expected to start returning to some sort of normality as early as June 1.

The Government’s full roadmap, which will be published on Monday, includes the “baby” steps of encouraging some people to return to work within the coming days, in accordance with the existing rules, and proposals to open primary schools as early as June 1.

The Prime Minister is expected to say that the gradual easing of the lockdown will be reliant on the country staying “alert” and following social distancing rules to help keep the reproduction number of the Covid-19 virus below one – meaning that each infected patient transmits the virus to no more than one other person.

The British Government already referred to 5 tests which the country will have to pass to be able to take things further. These include:

1. Evidence that the NHS can cope across the UK
2. A sustained fall in daily death rates
3. Evidence that the rate of infection is decreasing
4. Confidence that supplies of testing and PPE are able to meet demand
5. No risk of a second peak

The Telegraph