England could return to normality by Christmas but it depends on how “alert” people are, according to the transport secretary, Grant Shapps.
Shapps made the comments after Boris Johnson unveiled his plans for a “more significant return to normality” by the festive season. The prime minister revealed steps to encourage people back to work in England and sweeping measures that will allow ministers to issue stay-at-home orders to tackle outbreaks.
Scientists have said Johnson may struggle to deliver his vision, with Prof John Edmunds, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), saying a return to pre-lockdown normality was “a long way off”.
Asked in an interview on BBC Breakfast on Saturday how optimistic he was about a return to normality by Christmas, Shapps said he thought it was “possible that we can get there”. He added: “It’s giving people a roadmap, really, so we can give people some hope whilst planning for the worst as well.
“We want to give people some sense of direction, because a lot of people are running businesses or rely on the Christmas period and need to know that if everything goes well that this is our intention.
“But you can’t get away from the fact that the virus is still, in many ways, a bit of an unknown, and of course it depends how millions of people respond and how good and alert we are in terms of all the things we know, like washing your hands and, for the time being, keeping that social distance of 1 metre-plus.”
At a No 10 press conference on Friday Johnson said it was his “strong and sincere hope” that ministers would be able to review the remaining restrictions from November onwards, “possibly in time for Christmas”.
However, Edmunds told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If what you mean by normality is what we used to do until February and the middle of March this year – go to work normally, travel on the buses and trains, go on holiday without restrictions, meet friends, shake hands, hug each other and so on – that’s a long way off, unfortunately.
“We won’t be able to do that until we are immune to the virus, which means until we have a vaccine that is proven safe and effective. If we return to those sort of normal behaviours, the virus will come back very fast.”
He said he would not be hugging his elderly relatives at Christmas.
His comments echoed the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, who warned that measures such as handwashing, isolation and household quarantine would be needed for a “prolonged period”.
Shapps said employers needed to make sure workplaces are Covid-safe for employees to return to work. “We absolutely expect and ask employers and employees to work sensibly together; there’s full employee protection in place. The Health and Safety Executive would certainly have something to say if they are not using all of the guidelines.”
He said there was capacity on public transport for more people to use it to go back to work. “Anyone, not just key workers, can use public transport. I would recommend trying to avoid the busier times of day, but as people return to work – and the prime minister asked employers and employees to look at doing that particularly from 1 August – the public transport is there.”
From next month, most leisure centres will reopen and indoor performances with live audiences can resume if pilots are successful, while trials will begin for sports stadiums to reopen from October.
In an attempt to prevent another nationwide shutdown, Johnson said local authorities in England would have new powers from Saturday to close specific premises, shut outdoor spaces and cancel events. Ministers will be able to close entire sectors or types of premises in an area and issue “stay at home” orders.
Johnson also set out his plans to prepare the NHS for a potential second spike in Covid-19 cases coinciding with the flu season this winter, saying there would be an extra £3bn funding for the NHS in England, and extra money for the devolved nations.
