'Don't Overdo It': Boris Johnson To Warn Public Ahead Of Pubs Reopening In England
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson will urge the public to “act responsibly” when pubs and restaurants reopen.
The prime minister will lead a Downing Street press conference ahead of the easing of the lockdown in England on Saturday.
On Friday, the prime minister’s official spokesman said Johnson will be warning people not to “overdo it”.
Johnson is expected to implore people to act safely or run the risk of the government “putting on the brakes” and bringing back severe restrictions, as has been witnessed in Leicester.
The lockdown imposed on March 23 suppressed Covid-19’s spread by drastically reducing the people’s contacts, but the reopening of the economy will be a tense moment in the battle.
Speaking on Friday, Johnson is expected to paint the easing in England as a means of supporting the livelihoods of bosses and their employees but warn “we are not out of the woods yet”.
“They are our local restaurants, hairdressers, libraries, museums, cinemas, and yes, pubs. They are also hotels, B&Bs, indeed much of our tourism industry,” he will say, according to an extract released to the media ahead of the speech.
“All these businesses and their workers have put in a heroic effort to prepare their venues for this reopening, to work out a way to trade in a way that keeps their customers safe.
“But the success of these businesses, the livelihoods of those who rely on them, and ultimately the economic health of the whole country is dependent on every single one of us acting responsibly. We must not let them down.
“The virus is still with us and the spike in Leicester has shown that. If it starts running out of control again the government will not hesitate in putting on the brakes and re-imposing restrictions.
“Anyone who flouts social distancing and Covid-secure rules is not only putting us all at risk but letting down those businesses and...
