Rachel Johnson predicts how life will be post UK lockdown
1 May 2020, 19:56
Rachel Johnson predicts how the "new normal" will be after lockdown
LBC's Rachel Johnson gives her predictions of what the "new normal" will be after the UK eases lockdown.
This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in Thursday's Number 10 daily briefing that the UK is "past the peak" of the virus, but did not give an indication of when the lockdown will be eased.
Rachel predicted that when the lockdown is eventually lifted, the country will have to adjust to a new normal which will involve "quarantining the sick, quarantining the very vulnerable and quarantining the old, although they are very resistant to the idea... not quarantining the healthy."
Rachel observed this transition could take weeks, months but "hopefully not years".
"I also think it's going to be up to individuals eventually. When the five tests are met individuals will have to gauge for themselves."
Referring to statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter, "If Spiegelhalter is right and the risk of dying from coronavirus if you're ill is no greater than the risk from dying from your existing condition, then I think people will gradually rebuild their confidence and they'll want to get out and about."
Business Secretary Alok Sharma set out five key tests which must be fulfilled before lockdown is lifted:
1. “We must protect the NHS' ability to cope. We must be confident we are able to provide sufficient critical care and specialist treatment right across the UK."
2. “We need to see a sustained and consistent fall in the daily death rate from coronavirus so we can be confident we have moved beyond the peak."
3. Reliable data from SAGE showing the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels across the board.
4. “We need to be confident that the range of operational challenges including testing capacity and PPE are in hand with supply able to meet future demand."
5. “We need to be confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that overwhelm the NHS."
