Boris Johnson calls for more patience on path back to normality as coronavirus lockdown eased

The PM has said the country could return to near normality by July
AFP via Getty Images
Ellena Cruse17 May 2020

Boris Johnson has acknowledged frustrations over the easing of the coronavirus lockdown and called for more patience as the UK plots a course back to normality.

The prime minister promised the country would recover if the public stuck to the rules and praised the public's common sense.

He urged the nations not to risk the progress Britain has made against the Covid-19 strain.

It comes as a survey released this weekend has shown public dissatisfaction with the UK Government’s response to Covid-19 has overtaken approval for the first time with the debate over the Governments return to work and school reopening policies compared with devolved administrations who are still advising their regions to stay at home.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson said he can “understand people will feel frustrated with some of the new rules”, but he urged Britons to remain patient so the country “does not risk reversing the gains we have so far won in the fight against the virus”.

He wrote: “We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before – moving the country out of a full lockdown, in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work.

Boris Johnson and fiancee Carrie Symonds clapping for carers on Thursday
10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty

“I recognise what we are now asking is more complex than simply staying at home, but this is a complex problem and we need to trust in the good sense of the British people.

“If we all stick at it, then we’ll be able, gradually, to get rid of the complexities and the restrictions… but we must move slowly, and at the right time.”

It comes amid reports Mr Johnson has told MPs he hopes the UK can return to “near-normality” in July.

Only 39 per cent of Britons approve of the Government’s response – down from 48 per cent a week ago – according to an Opinium survey of 2,005 adults on Wednesday and Thursday.

Those saying they disapprove rose from 36 per cent to 42 per cent.

Sunbathers flock to the beach in Greece as lockdown is eased

1/8

Adam Drummond, head of political polling at Opinium, said it was the first time disapproval of the Government’s handling of the crisis has been higher than approval.

Meanwhile, the PM said during a call to the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs he wants a fast-track relaxation of lockdown restrictions, according to The Sun.

However, he also is said to have insisted that he will only take "grandmother steps" and achieving the goal depends on the public sticking to lockdown rules.

“Boris told us he is determined that the country should be as close to normality again before the end of July," an MP on the call told the paper.

“But he was clear that it all depends on the country meeting the conditions that have been set for tackling the virus.

“Most importantly that means bringing down the infection rate – and that can only be achieved if the continues to obey the rules on social distancing to help stop it spreading.”

It comes as the Government is to invest £93 million to bring forward the opening of a new vaccine-manufacturing centre to ensure it is ready to begin production if a coronavirus vaccine is found.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) in Oxfordshire will now open in summer 2021 – 12 months earlier than planned.

The not-for-profit facility, based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxford, will have the capacity to produce enough doses for the entire UK population in as little as six months.

A further £38 million is being invested in a rapid deployment facility which will be able to begin manufacturing at scale from the summer of this year if a vaccine becomes available before the new centre is complete.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in