UK coronavirus strategy: ‘keep calm and wash your hands’

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs his second coronavirus emergency meeting in the Cabinet War Rooms Monday as concerns mount that his government is failing to take the proper measures to protect the country from a major outbreak.

As of Sunday night, the number of confirmed UK coronavirus cases rose by 30 per cent to 273, up 64 from a day earlier, the largest one-day jump. More than 23,500 people have been tested for the virus, and three people have died from Covid-19, disease it causes.

Compared to Italy, the European country most affected with almost 6,400 confirmed cases and 366 fatalities, so far the situation in the UK is under control. But government experts are expecting numbers to rise sharply over the coming days and weeks, with the government looking at a worst-case scenario of 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths.

The coronavirus outbreak comes as post-Brexit trading relations with the European Union are still unclear and the last thing the UK government needs is an economic recession. It has rejected calls to extend the current transition period with its largest trading partner due to end on December 31.

British comedy writer and former doctor Adam Kay summed up the feelings of many when he tweeted on Sunday: “14 days ago Italy had fewer coronavirus cases than we do today. They employed similar public health measures to us. Now they have >7000 cases (366 deaths). Unless I’m missing something, this is us in a fortnight. Hopefully we won’t wait that long before doing something more.”

Monday’s so-called Cobra meeting is expected to come up with a raft of measures that could include social isolation for the elderly to immediate sick pay for employees who currently to wait four days to claim and produce a doctor’s sick note, according to British media reports.