Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Boris Johnson MP, has just addressed the nation, telling us to stay alert, control the virus and plan to open up the country, in a very measured fashion. The government's motto "Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives" has been replaced with: "Stay alert, control the virus, save lives". Easing of restrictions will also depend on the transmission rate for coronavirus remains less than R1 – so one infected person infects fewer than one other person. We got diagrams and equations. He talked about the importance of reverse epidemics in care homes and in NHS hospitals, as well as testing victims, tracing contacts, looking to hundreds of thousands of tests a day.
For the past 6 weeks Brits have been told to stay in their homes aside from taking one form of daily exercise, shopping for essential items, and going to work as a key worker.
Some restrictions will be eased as of Wednesday, such as people being permitted to take part in unlimited outdoor exercise and restart open-air sporting activities. People will also be permitted to sunbathe in local parks with other members of their household as long as they continue to abide by social distancing guidelines and remain at least two metres apart from people outside of their households. "You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household." A fine will be incurred for those who do not abide by these rules.
From tomorrow, anyone who can't work from home, such as those in construction and manufacturing, will be actively encouraged to return to work but the government advises people to avoid taking public transport possible, to drove to work, to walk or to cycle.nPrimary school children will begin to return to school from June 1st. "Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays," he added.
The government would "soon" release detailed guidance on how non-essential shops would reopen. No news on what that means for comic shops yet. Boris did however say that by July, subject to further scientific advice, he will hope to reopen "some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing". However, "if we can't do it by those dates, and if the alert level won't allow it, we will simply wait and go on until we have got it right."
He will also address Parliament tomorrow and take questions from the public tomorrow evening. But might some British comic book creators have questions to ask that could, potentially be asked? Here's what they have been saying on social media.
Boiling down the waffle, the shout bits, and the sub-The Day Today graphics, the bottom line is this: we're in Lockdown for two whole months more.
— Mike Collins (@MIKECOLLINS99) May 10, 2020
This episode of The Day Today is a bit shit isn't it
— Christian Ward (@cjwardart) May 10, 2020
"We're testing literally hundreds of thousands of people every day," says Boris, despite the fact that we're not even testing one hundred thousand people every day.
— Ian D. Sharman (@idsharman) May 10, 2020
I can't watch him
— Dave (13013) McKinnon (@DaveMcKinnon__) May 10, 2020
Not impressed by the UK's new system of communicating the Covid 19 threat level… pic.twitter.com/gsBykFToD5
— DungeonMaster Ewington (@AndiEwington) May 10, 2020
I'm just waiting for him to announce the government is dropping the furlough scheme….I'm just waiting for it
— Joe Glass is a Writer for Hire! 🏳️🌈 (@JosephGlass) May 10, 2020
Mad to imagine there are some people sitting at home thinking, 'He's doing a really good job and has a clear plan'.
— Olly Richards (@olly_richards) May 10, 2020
Johnson is utterly deranged and clearly clueless and not in control. Just making it up as he goes along and lying through his teeth about testing.
We're doomed.
— Ian D. Sharman (@idsharman) May 10, 2020
Google translate wtf pic.twitter.com/KkgnPj1eaS
— Caspar Wijngaard (@Casparnova) May 10, 2020
So how are Daily Mail/Express/Sun and all those lot feeling now that the lockdown HASN'T ended, after they spent all weekend saying they were ending/changing eh?
Oh, I know…they don't give a fuck
— Joe Glass is a Writer for Hire! 🏳️🌈 (@JosephGlass) May 10, 2020
Boris speech is like someone trying to cheat at a choose your own adventure book.
— PJ Holden (@pauljholden) May 10, 2020
Drink Tea
Watch Hellboy
Scratch Bum https://t.co/aNFp0romae— Dave (13013) McKinnon (@DaveMcKinnon__) May 10, 2020
He's encouraging more people to use their cars at the same time as he's encouraging people who don't ordinarily cycle, to cycle. That should be fun.
— Hayley Campbell (@hayleycampbell) May 10, 2020
The reason people can't work from home is that we don't have UBI, the reason people are going to die because they have to chose between food and shelter and sickness is because we don't have UBI.
— Hamish Steele (@hamishsteele) May 10, 2020
#BorisHasFailed pic.twitter.com/Mq7yN7vb5g
— Paul B. Rainey (@pbrainey) May 10, 2020
Every time I consider the possibility that this might finally bring about some real social justice and positive change, I remind myself that I thought the same thing back in 2008. Within a year everyone was blaming poor people for taking out mortgages.
They're really good at this— Alex Paknadel (@AlexPaknadel) May 10, 2020
TWITTER LAST SUNDAY: Stop treating us like children, explain the possible exit strategy
TWITTER THIS SUNDAY: But mummy I don't understand I'm so confused mummy does this mean I should cough into pensioners' faces mummy
— Gareth Roberts 🏁 (@OldRoberts953) May 10, 2020
Hopefully people who are concerned about risks to their health, or transmitting it to others, won't be able to be forced by employers to go back to work because that wouldn't be great.
— Moose Allain Ꙭ (@MooseAllain) May 10, 2020
'Stay inside but also exercise as much as you wanr'
Not a San Diemas High School Book report, chap!— Alasdair Stuart (@AlasdairStuart) May 10, 2020
Marching in joyous lockstep, me.
— Jamie Delano (@jamiedelano) May 10, 2020
And you can catch up on how the current situation is affecting the comic book industry with this link. Here is Boris' address in full.