Brits told they can go on day-trips in the car from Wednesday as Boris Johnson unveils plan to exit the lockdown
BRITS have today been told they can go on day-trips in the car from Wednesday as Boris Johnson unveiled his plan to exit the lockdown.
The Prime Minister tonight eased some of the quarantine measures – but warned the lockdown was not over yet.
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Speaking to the nation tonight, Boris Johnson confirmed some of the drastic measures were being eased from Wednesday – including Brits being allowed to take car trips.
He said: “From this Wednesday we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise.
“You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household.”
The message will open the gateway for Brits to escape their homes after six weeks of lockdown.
In a video message tonight the PM:
- Urged Brits to get back to work if they can’t from home
- Revealed Brits would be allowed to sunbathe in parks and play unlimited sport from Wednesday – and can go on day trips
- Said anyone coming into the country by air would be forced to quarantine
- Schools will start going back from June – but only if the infection level is low enough
- But he warned that pubs, cinemas and mass gatherings would be off the cards for months to come
Brits will also be able to enjoy picnics on the beach and in parks as long as they follow social distancing guidelines.
More details around the lockdown changes are set to be revealed tomorrow and into this week.
But cooped up Brits have already started to hit the roads.
Just this week, deputy chief scientific adviser Dame Angela McLean warned the rise in car use during the lockdown was “troubling”.
She told the daily No 10 press conference: “For motor vehicles what you see is a pattern that looks a bit like commuting because it’s low every weekend and we do worry about that creeping up.
“I think all of us remember that what we’ve done together which is to stay home has worked to protect the NHS and save lives and as one of the people who looks at this data and thinks about how it fits into how we think about the future it does trouble me that the dark blue line [use of motor vehicles] is creeping up again.”
KEEP FIGHTING
Police even set up a checkpoint in Brighton on Saturday to turn away beachgoers.
Locals cheered as tourists were turned away, voicing their support for police efforts to maintain social distancing by keeping visitors out of the city over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Speaking in an address to the nation, Mr Johnson thanked the public for following the guidelines over the past six weeks.
He said: “It is thanks to your effort and sacrifice in stopping the spread of this disease that the death rate is coming down and hospital admissions are coming down.”
“Thanks to you we have protected our NHS and saved many thousands of lives.”
But he warned the battle against the bug had not been won yet.
Mr Johnson added: “It would be madness now to throw away that achievement by allowing a second spike.
“We must stay alert. We must continue to control the virus and save lives.”
MOST READ IN NEWS
The death toll today hit more than 31,000 fatalities while more than 215,000 cases have been recorded.
Among the deaths are more than 200 health workers.
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