By Nikos Papanikolaou
Residents in Holloway Road are disappointed by the Government’s delay to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus.
After days of debating on whether there should be stricter measures, Boris Johnson announced yesterday that the country is going to a lockdown – like many other countries around the world.
“The lockdown is welcome, but I think it’s too late now. A week ago there were still concerts around the country, people were gathering at the parks or the coffee shops. I don’t know if we can tackle it now,” said Adam Fleck, 28, freelance illustrator.
Around the time Italy recorded close to the UK’s current figures, the country had already forced a lockdown of its northern region, where the majority of cases and deaths were concentrated. This was then extended to the whole country three days later and continues to be in place now.
As of today, the United Kingdom has 6,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 336 deaths as a result of it. According to the Prime Minister from today, people in the UK will only be allowed to leave their home to shop basic necessities as infrequently as possible, to exercise outside once per day – alone or with members of your household. People are also be allowed to leave their home in case of a medical need and to travel to and from their work if this is necessary.
“I don’t know if the NHS is ready for the impact. We are trying to prepare ourselves. There are still open shops, and people are outside. They haven’t understood the severity of the situation. People need to understand how important it is for us to follow the rules. It’s vital,” said Kasia Walton, 35, a nurse at King’s College Hospital.
There is anger among people at scenes over the weekend of crowds flocking to parks, markets, beaches and beauty spots – as they are concerned that this will keep happening despite the lockdown.
“In this fight, we can be in no doubt that each and every one of us is directly enlisted. Each and every one of us is now obliged to join together. To halt the spread of this disease. To protect our NHS and to save many many thousands of lives,” said Boris Johnson during his address to the nation on Monday evening.
Police will have the powers to enforce the rules, including through fines and dispersing gatherings. Additionally, all non-essential shops will close as well as libraries, playgrounds and place of worship. All meetings of more than two people in public will stop and all social event – excluding funerals – will stop.
“Boris is not serious. Haven’t you see what is happening around us? Two weeks ago, he was talking about herd immunity while other countries were forcing a lockdown. With the speed the virus is spreading, I think he acted late. I don’t know what can be saved now,” said Aaron Diskerud, 29, a physio at Bespoke Physio.
Despite the lockdown, many Tory MPs are worried that the Prime Minister has not moved fast enough to enforce stricter distancing measures, amid public alarm about evidence of people ignoring advice.
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