UK sets out 'battle plan' to try to contain spread of
coronavirus
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 [March 03, 2020] By
Elizabeth Piper and Kylie MacLellan
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain unveiled its
"battle plan" to tackle the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday, warning
that as many as a fifth of employees could be off work at the peak of
the outbreak.
The United Kingdom has so far had 39 confirmed cases of the virus, and
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was "highly likely" the country
would see a growing number of cases.
The government's plan includes possible school closures, home working
and cancelling large-scale gatherings to delay the peak of the outbreak.
Businesses could be given extra time to pay their taxes if they are
facing short-term cash flow issues.
"This is a national challenge ... I think we'll get through it in very
good shape," Johnson said at a news conference alongside England's Chief
Medical Officer Chris Whitty and the government's Chief Scientific
Adviser Patrick Vallance.
The government said its strategy was aimed at delaying the peak of the
outbreak until the summer when the weather is warmer and the health
service is under less seasonal pressure. This would also allow more time
for the development of vaccines.
Possible options include discouraging unnecessary travel as part of what
it called a "social distancing" strategy, delaying non-urgent health
care, and drafting in health professionals who have retired.
If staff shortages impact emergency services such as the police force,
they will focus on responding to serious crimes and maintaining public
order. Johnson said the army was also ready to step in and provide back
up to the police if needed.
If the outbreak worsens or is severe and prolonged, the government said
it would move from seeking to contain and delay the outbreak to
mitigating its impact.
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A man wearing a mask walks in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland
Britain March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
The government will launch a major public information campaign later this week,
run from a "war room" in the Cabinet Office, setting out steps people can take
to limit the spread of the virus, such as washing their hands regularly.
Johnson's office said it would also publish legislation in the coming weeks
which would give the government necessary powers to prepare for and tackle the
outbreak.
Whitty said he thought it was unlikely Britain would be in the situation of
locking down individual cities, but all options would be kept available.
Finance minister Rishi Sunak has asked officials to draw up "further measures to
support the public health response, businesses and the economy as needed" and
will give an update when he presents his first budget to parliament on March 11.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said policymakers around the world were
working on a "powerful and timely" response to the economic hit from coronavirus.
"It is reasonable to expect a response that reflects a combination of fiscal
measures and central bank initiatives," he said.
(Additional reporting by Kate Holton, Michael Holden and William James; Editing
by Philippa Fletcher and Catherine Evans)
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