Johnson tightens virus controls at 'perilous' stage

People in England are being advised to work from home when possible, reversing government advice of less than four weeks ago, as part of new measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of August, the government launched a campaign encouraging people back to their desks, but this has now been dropped as the country had reached "a perilous turning point", Johnson told the House of Commons on Tuesday. He said action was necessary to avoid "graver consequences".

Johnson stressed that it was not a return to the full lockdown measures introduced in March, but added that the new rules were likely to last for six months.

As of Wednesday, the United Kingdom had more than 406,000 cases of COVID-19 and 41,900 deaths, Johns Hopkins University data shows.

"We are not issuing a general instruction to stay at home," he said, adding that schools and universities would remain open. But with the number of daily new infections having quadrupled over the past month, he said strong measures were needed.

Pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues must shut earlier, and planned trials of limited numbers of spectators at sporting events have been put on hold.

Face masks will be compulsory for taxi drivers, waiters, shop and bar staff, and fines for not wearing them will rise to 200 pounds ($255).

"This virus is a fact of our lives and I must tell the House and the country our fight against it will continue," said Johnson, adding that he was taking "decisive and appropriate steps to balance saving lives with protecting jobs".

It was tempting, he admitted, "to hope the threat has faded and seek comfort in the belief you have avoided the virus so far, so are somehow immune … but that type of complacency could be our undoing".

Opposition leader Keir Starmer said there was still concern at the lack of a clear government strategy, but in this case, the Labour Party backed the moves. "It's right the PM is confirming new measures today," he said.

Speaking before the latest restrictions were confirmed, chief executive of Adnams Brewery Andy Wood told the BBC Radio 4 Today program that the industry, was still "on life support".

Elsewhere, there has been anger at the suggestion from the head of the government's test-and-trace program that any rapid virus testing service might be a "business and consumer product" for those who do not have symptoms, leading to accusations of a two-tier system.

The other nations of the UK－Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland－also tightened restrictions, going further in some cases.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said with a few exceptions people will be barred from visiting others' homes. "We know what we need to do to protect ourselves and others," she said in a televised address.

The coronavirus also forced the European Union to postpone a scheduled summit for a week after Council President Charles Michel went into quarantine because a close collaborator was diagnosed with COVID-19.

European Council spokesman Barend Leyts on Tuesday said Michel "has gone into quarantine as of today".

The EU had been preparing to stage its second live summit in a little over two months. The summit was to address issues as wide-ranging as Brexit talks and climate change.

Agencies contributed to the story.