Position on November coronavirus lockdown
November 6, 2020
On Wednesday I reluctantly voted in favour of the new national restrictions, lasting from 5th November until 2nd December.
Although the government’s decision is in line with that taken by our European neighbours, with France, Germany and Spain all imposing tough new measures, I have significant reservations about the impact on households and the economy. Essentially, I have given the government the benefit of the doubt for the next 4 weeks, and only supported the move on the explicit basis that it is a short-term emergency measure.
I believe periodic lockdowns cannot be a long-term solution, and accept this shift only because at the moment, there is no alternative. As it stands, I am persuaded that sharply rising case numbers make it essential to take tough short-term measures to stop the NHS being overwhelmed, and prevent unacceptable loss of life
I expect the government to keep to its aim of lifting lockdown from 2nd December, returning to a regional system reflecting the local level of the virus, under which I want York to come straight out into tier 1 (‘medium’ alert) and I will be lobbying Ministers to this end. I will not support the extension of this second lockdown beyond 2nd December.
I am reassured by the strong financial support for households and businesses that the Chancellor has unveiled to accompany the new restrictions. On Thursday, Rishi Sunak announced that the furlough scheme covering 80% of employee wages while preserving jobs will be extended until the end of March, and income support for the self-employed for November- January will rise from 55% to 80% of trading profits. There are also cash grants of up to £3000 per month for all businesses required to close under the rules, the extension of the mortgage holiday, and extension of coronavirus business loan schemes to January.
Although the situation is grave, there are important breakthroughs which will significantly enhance our ability to control the virus, and I will press government to exploit these to the full, so we can move away from the blunt instrument of national lockdown towards less disruptive measures.
On current progress, there is a real chance of a vaccine in the first quarter of 2021, and we now have the immediate prospect of the deployment of 10-15 minute quick turnaround tests, with the programme due to begin in a matter of days. These can identify people who are asymptomatic, and will be very useful in identifying and controlling infection in schools, universities, hospitals and similar institutions.
The government has also hit its target to reach capacity for half a million tests by the end of October, with capacity of 525,000 as of 31st October, giving us the largest test capacity in Europe. This week mass population testing is also being piloted in Liverpool, with everyone living or working in the city being offered a test whether they have symptoms or not, and it is ambitious, comprehensive measures on this kind of scale that will help provide a roadmap towards normality.
