Pressure mounts on Boris Johnson to ramp up Britain’s coronavirus action

Pressure is mounting on Boris Johnson to ramp up Britain’s response to the coronavirus crisis today after the US barred all travellers from mainland Europe.

The PM is chairing the emergency Cobra committee later where the UK’s tactics will shift from ‘containing’ the killer disease to merely ‘delaying’ its inevitable spread. The UK death toll hit eight yesterday. 

However, the scale of the measures being planned is unclear – with ministers only so far suggesting they will encourage home working, ask those with a cold to self-quarantine, and urge vulnerable elderly people to stay indoors.

There are claims that schools have been ordered to prepare for closures that could last a month. But calls for the closure of other public spaces and the cancellation of major sporting events – as has happened in other countries – look to be some way off. 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who yesterday unveiled a huge Budget package to ‘vaccinate’ the economy from the impact of coronavirus, today dismissed the prospect of the UK following the American example.

‘We are always guided by the science as we make our decisions here,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. 

‘The advice we are getting is that there is not evidence that interventions like closing borders or travel bans are going to have a material effect on the spread of the infections. That is why we have taken the decisions that we have.’ 

To fight what is now officially a global pandemic, the Budget handed hospitals a £5billion fighting fund while thousands of firms will be given a business rates holiday to help avert the risk of bankruptcy.

Sick pay will be reformed to ensure that employees are not penalised for going into quarantine.

Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons yesterday) is chairing the emergency Cobra committee later where the UK’s tactics will shift from ‘containing’ the killer disease to merely ‘delaying’ its inevitable spread

Oval Office address: Donald Trump finally addressed the nation about the coronavirus crisis from the White House on Wednesday and banned all travel to Europe

The Chancellor declared: ‘We are doing everything we can to keep this country, and our people, healthy and financially secure.’

His package came as the Bank of England’s base rate was slashed to a historic low of just 0.25 per cent.

Mr Johnson will confirm today that the UK is switching from a strategy of trying to contain the outbreak to one of trying to delay its worst effects in order to give the NHS more time to cope. 

Trump bans travellers from Europe to the US 

Donald Trump, who yesterday told Americans he was ordering an immediate shut-down of all travel from Europe.

Speaking hours after world health officials declared the coronavirus a pandemic, Trump repeatedly defended his own actions and vowed the nation would prevail in countering the virus and getting treatment on the market.

‘We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days,’ Trump announced, in a speech from the Oval Office to the nation. 

‘The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight,’ he said. 

The move was so sudden the acting Homeland Security secretary said he would issue full guidance on how to carry it out within 48 hours.

The White House said the travel restrictions would apply to foreign nationals who have visited 26 European countries – but excluding the UK and Ireland – in the past 14 days. 

It will not apply to US citizens, their ‘immediate’ family members or legal permanent residents. But confusion remained over how exactly the rules would apply and in what time zone the deadline would be introduced.  

The Prime Minister – one of whose Cabinet ministers went into self-isolation last night along with five other MPs – is also likely to announce a range of social-distancing measures.

However, the government is not expected to go as far as Donald Trump, who yesterday told Americans he was ordering an immediate shut-down of all travel from Europe.

Speaking hours after world health officials declared the coronavirus a pandemic, Trump repeatedly defended his own actions and vowed the nation would prevail in countering the virus and getting treatment on the market.

‘We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days,’ Trump announced, in a speech from the Oval Office to the nation. 

‘The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight,’ he said. 

The move was so sudden the acting Homeland Security secretary said he would issue full guidance on how to carry it out within 48 hours.

The White House said the travel restrictions would apply to foreign nationals who have visited 26 European countries – but excluding the UK and Ireland – in the past 14 days. 

It will not apply to US citizens, their ‘immediate’ family members or legal permanent residents. But confusion remained over how exactly the rules would apply and in what time zone the deadline would be introduced.  

A video posted on the No10 Twitter feed yesterday shows Mr Johnson chatting with Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries.

Mr Johnson said: ‘It’s noticeable that there are some countries where they have banned big sporting events and stopped mass gatherings of one kind or another. Tell us why so far the medical advice in this country is not to do that?’

Dr Harries replied that ‘expert modellers’ had looked at what would happen with the virus. 

‘In general those sorts of events and big gatherins are not seen as something that is going to have a big effect. So we don’t want to disprut people’s lives,’ she said.

Speaking before Mr Trump’s speech last night, Mr Johnson said: ‘There’s obviously people under a lot pf pressure – politicians government arond the world under a lot of pressure to be seen to act. So they may do things that are not necessarily dictated by the science.’

Dr Harries said: ‘I am absolutely delighted that we are following the science and the evidence.’ 

She added: ‘We have got very clear advice about when we should intervene and that is exactly what I think we should do.’ 

Mr Sunak admitted yesterday that the epidemic was now likely to cause ‘temporary disruption to the economy’, with millions of workers having to take time off sick, firms struggling with supply problems and shops and restaurants hit by a dramatic fall in trade.

‘The combination of those effects will have a significant impact on the UK economy,’ he said. ‘But it will be temporary. People will return to work.

‘Supply chains will return to normal. Life will return to normal. For a period, it’s going to be tough. But I’m confident that our economic performance will recover.’

The emergency package, which was finalised in the early hours of yesterday, overshadowed a series of massive spending decisions that set the Government’s economic course for the next four years.

Mr Sunak pledged to increase total spending by 22 per cent by 2024, taking the size of the state to more than £1trillion for the first time. 

Much of the spending will be fuelled by borrowing, with the national debt now on track to top £2trillion by the time of the next election.

There will be a rise in the threshold for paying national insurance that delivers an immediate £100 tax cut for 31million workers. 

The OBR yesterday warned that the coronavirus could lead to a prolonged slowdown, adding: ‘Recession this year is quite possible if the spread of coronavirus causes widespread economic disruption.’ 

Mr Sunak said he was ready to make further interventions to ensure that good businesses were not driven to the wall.

Unveiling his crucial first Budget yesterday, the Chancellor insisted his plans will ensure the UK is 'one of the best placed economies in the world' to cope with the impact of the disease

Unveiling his crucial first Budget yesterday, the Chancellor insisted his plans will ensure the UK is ‘one of the best placed economies in the world’ to cope with the impact of the disease

He said yesterday’s £30billion package comprised £12billion of direct spending and £18billion of broader stimulus to the economy.

‘While the world may slow down, we will act here with a response that is brave and bold, taking decisions now for our future prosperity,’ the Chancellor added. ‘We are investing in world class infrastructure, and to lead the world in the industries and technologies of the future.’

Mr Sunak said the ‘central decision’ was to increase spending over existing plans by £175billion.

The overall tax burden will not rise, mainly because of a decision to abandon a cut in corporation tax. The Treasury admitted the spending might not meet earlier fiscal rules.

Some senior Tories voiced reservations. Theresa May said the Conservatives must never fall into Labour’s trap of believing that all problems could be fixed by unconstrained spending.

The former prime minister added: ‘While spending a lot of money may be popular and may seem the natural thing to do, there is of course that necessity of having a realistic assessment of the longer-term impact.

‘[There is] a necessity to ensure that we have that restraint and caution that enables us to make sure the public finances continue to be strong into the future.’