“Now CHATTING IS BANNED ”
No stopping for a chat if you bump into friends, and DON’T sit on park benches: Boris prepares to ramp up rules as he claims vaccine rollout has made people ‘complacent’ about lockdown with Chris Whitty warning NHS is on the brink of disaster
Boris Johnson today warned he is ready to tighten lockdown further as he voiced fears that vaccines have made people ‘complacent’ about obeying rules despite the NHS being on the brink of disaster.
On a visit to the Ashton Gate vaccination centre in Bristol today, the PM revealed that 2.4million jabs have now been administered as the operation is ramped up.
But amid rebukes to people stopping to chat with friends and sitting on park benches, he echoed a dire message from Chris Whitty that the next few weeks are set to be the worst yet for the NHS.
‘This is a very perilous moment because everybody can sense that the vaccine is coming in and they can see that the UK is vaccinating large numbers of those that need it most,’ Mr Johnson said.
‘My worry is, and Chris’s worry is, that this is the moment when that degree of false confidence, false complacency, and that when you look at what has happened in the NHS that complacency is not merited.
‘More important than us just pushing out new rules, people have got to follow the guidance.
‘In supermarkets, people need to be keeping their distances, making sure that they’re wearing masks, doing the right thing.
‘We need to enforce the rules in supermarkets. When people are getting takeaway drinks, in cafes, then they need to avoid spreading the disease there, avoid mingling too much.’
A Whitehall source told MailOnline ministers have discussed going as far as saying people can only leave the house once a week – although No10 today denied this was on the cards saying the focus was on ‘bolstering enforcement and policing’. Other ideas include compulsory mask-wearing outdoors and a ban on extended bubbles”
AC