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UK Govt Extends Coronavirus Laws Without Telling Anyone
See also this RT report titled UK government ‘quietly’ extends local authorities’ lockdown powers in England until July 17 – media.
Government Extends Coronavirus Laws Without Telling Anyone
LOCKDOWN SCEPTICS
Christopher Hope reports in the Telegraph on the latest sneaky move by the Government.
The Government has quietly extended lockdown laws to give councils the power to close pubs, restaurants, shops and public spaces until July 17th this year.
The news will be a major setback for those hoping that life might have returned to normal by early summer once more people are vaccinated against coronavirus.
It comes after Boris Johnson admitted late last week that “it’s too early to say when we’ll be able to lift some of the restrictions”.
The Government had pledged to review the lockdown measures in the middle of next month.
The changes to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.3) Regulations 2020 were made as part of a review of the third lockdown by Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, earlier this month.
This law (originally introduced on July 18th last year) allows a local authority to close or limit access to premises or outdoor spaces in its area to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including stopping events.
The regulation, which applies to England only, was due to expire last week but has now been extended until July 17th, around the date when school summer holidays begin, as part of a slew of other measures.
Mark Harper, the chairman of the Coronavirus Recovery Group of Tory MPs which is campaigning against unnecessary restrictions, said: “The extension of councils’ Covid powers until July will be of great concern to those worried about their jobs and businesses.
“Given the limited time allowed for debate this change in the law was little noticed.”
It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in an interview on Sky News that we are a “long, long, long way off lifting lockdown restrictions”.
Three “long”s in a row will not give much reassurance to beleaguered businesses and an increasingly depressed public and will be confusing to those who heard him point out in his recent Downing Street briefing that the high-priority groups the Government is hoping to have vaccinated by mid-February account for 88% of all Covid deaths to date.
This latest interview also contradicts what the Health Secretary said in an interview in the Spectator two weeks ago:
The goal is not to ensure that we vaccinate the whole population before that point, it is to vaccinate those who are vulnerable. Then that’s the moment at which we can carefully start to lift the restrictions.
The Express has reported on some of the fighting talk of those in Parliament opposed to the restrictions:
The Prime Minister will be asking MPs to agree to the six month renewal of the Government’s so-called Henry VIII emergency powers to be able to impose restrictions at will to tackle the pandemic. But already senior MPs in his own party have warned that significant numbers could vote against unless there are moves to end lockdown and revitalise the economy. Former cabinet minister Esther McVey, the founder of the powerful Blue Collar Conservatism Movement, said: “It is absolutely essential that once the most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated the Government start easing the lockdowns.
“These restrictions are doing huge damage to people’s livelihoods and mental health in particular, and the Government must start to stand up to those siren voices who want lockdowns and restriction to become a near permanent feature of our lives.
“If the Government don’t start making rapid headway in doing that, it will be the duty of Parliament to remove these swingeing powers from them.”
She also raised concerns over the way seemingly exaggerated estimates are being used to push public policy.
Previously there have been question marks over Professor Neil Ferguson’s claims that 500,000 would die of COVID-19, which initiated the first lockdown, and then the claims by Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance in the late autumn of 5,000 infections a day which preceded the second lockdown.
Ms McVey argued that the concerns are highlighted in a written answer on prisoner deaths.
At the start of the pandemic the Government was pushed to have a mass early release of prisoners because thousands would be killed by coronavirus.
Ministers eventually resisted the calls and a written answer has revealed that just 47 died of the disease.
Ms McVey said: “There is no better example of the scaremongering to drive Government policy they wanted to see from the so-called experts than the predictions on prisoner deaths.
“I appreciate that these estimates aren’t an exact science but the difference between a prediction of 2,700 to the reality of 47 is embarrassing to say the least, and shows why the Government must not hand over total policy control to the scientists who are clearly not infallible with their predictions.”
Sir Desmond Swayne MP also weighed in:
He said: “It seems to me that Boris has been completely taken over. He’s completely given over to these people and as a consequence, there’s a complete lack of any sense of urgency on the need to lift restrictions.”
Sir Desmond is gravely concerned by speculation the hospitality industry could still be shuttered in June.
He said: “The notion there will be any industry left in June is barking. What we’ve seen is the most extraordinary mission creep.
“Remember, the issue was to protect the NHS, stop the NHS being overwhelmed by hospital admissions. Clearly, as we vaccinate that proportion of the population most likely to be hospitalised were they to be infected, that risk of the NHS being overwhelmed diminishes.
“They should be planning now at what stage they will lift the restrictions. At what proportion of the most vulnerable being vaccinated will the risk be acceptable?
“That’s the sort of thing they ought to be taking us into their confidence [about] and debating in public now. But what we’re getting is this mission creep.”
Stop Press: The Spectator has commissioned a poll that has returned alarming results:
A new poll for Coffee House by Redfield and Wilton – with a sample size of 2,000 – saw the public quizzed on the current lockdown, restrictions and vaccines. For now, there appears to be majority support for the current Government restrictions with 62% saying the restrictions are more helpful than harmful to society, compared to 24% who think they are more harmful than helpful.
Although Boris Johnson insisted again this week that lockdown measures will be looked at in mid-February to see whether they can be eased, few expect them to be. Only 25% think the current level of restrictions will be relaxed within a month from now. Overall, 70% think the current level of restrictions will be relaxed within three months from now. As for how many people need to be vaccinated before there can be a substantial easing, both the Prime Minister and Matt Hancock have suggested that decision is a matter for debate – one the country should have before making any firm decisions. The poll suggests there is as of yet no clear consensus. When surveyed on when the lockdown should end, 21% say it should end as soon as those over the age of 70 have been vaccinated, 32% think it should end when those over the age of 50 have been vaccinated, while 38% said the current lockdown should only end when the vast majority of the entire population has been vaccinated. On the question of when all non-travel related restrictions should go, a majority – 61% – agreed they should end only once enough vaccinations have been given to the general population. However, 39% think they should end sooner – once enough vaccinations have been given to the vulnerable population.
Pretty depressing, although it’s good to know 24% of those polled agreed with the main contention of lockdown sceptics, namely, that the restrictions cause more harm than good.
Stop Press 2: The Daily Mail reports, Boris Johnson will soon be announcing a draconian new Australia-style quarantine system for all arrivals to the country.
British holidaymakers returning home won’t escape an order to quarantine in airport hotels – signalling the death knell for summer getaways.
Ministers are finalising plans to force travellers to isolate for 10 days as soon as they enter Britain, with details to be decided tomorrow.
Boris Johnson had wanted to exempt British residents and only target those arriving from places where new strains of the virus have been detected.
But Cabinet sources last night said they expect the Prime Minister to sign off on a comprehensive proposal – modelled on Australia – that will see all arrivals sent to airport hotels, regardless of their nationality and where they have come from.
It means people who live in Britain will face having to pay extra, on top of the cost of their trip, to spend their quarantine period in a hotel patrolled by security guards.
Any new restrictions would be a further blow to the beleaguered travel industry – and could spark chaos at airports already battling through new arrivals checks.
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Published to The Liberty Beacon from EuropeReloaded.com
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