Devon MPs split over lockdown ending delay

Devon MPs and political leaders have been left split over the Government's decision to delay 'freedom day' and push back Step 4 of the roadmap for a further four weeks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday evening announced that the final easing of lockdown restrictions in England would be halted and that the 'not before' 21 June date would not be enacted.

He announced that a new 19 July 'terminus date' was when all restrictions on social contact could be lifted, barring the emergence of a game-changing new variant, although there was the unlikely scenario in two weeks' time when if the data is better than expected, restrictions could be lifted earlier.

The announcement means that social distancing guidance will remain in place, as will the guidance to work from home, while the 'rule of six' indoors and the 'rule of 30' outdoors continues.

The delay means the reopening of nightclubs will be postponed, but an exemption was made for wedding ceremonies, although venues will still have to adhere to social distancing rules.

MPs across the county have been split on the delay to the final unlocking, with some criticising the decision, while others have said that the four week pause is prudent to allow millions more to be vaccinated.

Anne Marie Morris, MP for Newton Abbot, said: "Like many of you, I am very much against this decision and am worried about a further delay post 19 July.

"We, quite rightly, understand that the reality is that we will have to live with Covid-19 in various forms and any attempt at a 'zero-Covid' strategy is both impossible and unworkable.

"Despite this, the Government appears to be determined to pursue a lockdown policy that is likely to drag on for the foreseeable future.

"After all, what happens if 4 weeks becomes another extension and then another extension, just because another variant has flared up? We cannot afford to keep running scared from these variants, we need to manage them when they inevitably arrive.

"We're told that, quite rightly, vaccinations are the answer to the problems we face, and that the extra month will allow time to get more people double vaccinated. That's great but the way we do that is by speeding up the vaccination process.

"If this slowdown is due to a lack of supply, then the Government needs to be honest about this but if it is not then why aren't we speeding up the process? Another solution would be to reduce the time between doses to at least eight weeks and perhaps the three or four weeks (depending on vaccine) that is currently being used in the USA.

"As we saw when the booking process was opened to the 25-and-overs, there isn't a swell of vaccine hesitancy from people – they want the jab. Let's utilise this and speed the process up.

"If we are to continue to be locked down for another month then the Government must put in place a support package to help those who still cannot re-open and those who have received no support for the last 18 months.

"I cannot in good faith support the extension of lockdown by a further month. Despite this, the Government clearly has a majority to do so, therefore it's going to happen.

"In that case, I would call on the Government to publish the data justifying its decision and also provide financial support for those they have excluded for the past 18 months."

Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter, said that he would have to carefully study the proposals, but that he would be unlikely to support the extension of restrictions when they go to a vote in the House of Commons later this week.

He said: "We are paying a very heavy price for Boris Johnson's failure to put India on the red list when he should have done because he was prioritising an illusory post Brexit trade deal with India.

"That means that, in spite of being ahead on vaccines, we are now to be subject to much tighter restrictions than the rest of Europe and America – who are opening up and where life is returning to normal.

"Thousands more job losses can now be expected in the hospitality, culture and travel industries – just when they should be on the road to recovery.

"I will study the Government's proposals when they are made but I very much doubt that I will be able to support the extension of the Government's draconian curbs on our basic freedoms, which will cause such economic misery."

But Sir Gary Streeter, MP for South West Devon, backed the delay in moving to step four. He said: "It seems that it is prudent to delay the final release to enable more people to be vaccinated.

"I urge everyone who is entitled to get a jab to come forward and do so and then by mid-July we can see a full release of the lockdown and start to claw our way back to the new normality that awaits us."

Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, added: "I am disappointed that a full unlocking cannot go ahead on 21 June, but I do accept the need to delay.

"The Delta variant has meant that the Prime Minister has had no choice but to be cautious. However, even a short delay will have an adverse impact on certain sectors, especially the hospitality industry, and so I will be seeking further support from the Government to help businesses through the additional period of restrictions."

Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, said that it was hard for so many local businesses but the focus needs to be only ensuring as many people as possible have had the second dose of the vaccine.

She said: "As expected the Prime Minister has announced a delay to the final stage of the roadmap by at least two weeks, given the current data nationally.

"I recognise how hard this is for so many local businesses, many have already been in touch and I know it is particularly difficult in our regions, where our cases remain so low, thanks to the steps taken by these businesses and residents alike to follow the rules.

"For the vaccines to protect, as fully as possible, against the Delta variant the second jab is needed. Over the coming weeks ensuring as many people as possible have had their second dose is the focus so the clear, current, exponential growth of the Delta variant does not take off in the manner the Alpha (Kent) variant did at the end of 2020.

"I am delighted weddings can go ahead and have been lobbying for this for some time here at Westminster and will continue to do everything I can to support our local businesses as we await the final stage of unlocking."

Steve Brown, Devon's Director of Public Health, said that from a public health perspective, and with case numbers rising again across the country and with a much more transmissible variant now the dominant strain, delaying the further lifting of restrictions would be sensible.

He said: "Not only would that maintain the rules around social contact, but the delay would also allow more people to receive their first or second jabs, offering them valuable protection against this latest strain.

"I ask all Devon residents to be patient. We will get there, but we need to move with great caution.

"We are seeing case numbers start to rise in the county and we will see the Delta variant becoming the dominant strain.

"We must therefore continue to follow the all-important rules on social distancing, wearing face coverings when indoors in public places and washing our hands regularly.

"Please continue to get tested regularly using the rapid lateral flow tests, and self-isolate if you test positive or are asked to do so by contact tracing teams, and please take up the vaccination when you are invited to do so."

And Devon County Council leader, Cllr John Hart, said that as the country is in a race between our vaccination roll-out and the more infectious variant of te virus, he believed this delay was inevitable.

He said: "We need to close the gap between the proportion of our population who've had two jabs and those who've only had one because the difference in protection is very, very marked. And we must encourage younger people to book their vaccinations if they haven't already done so.

"I think many residents of Devon will be pleased with this delay as the county has already been very busy with visitors, but I have to repeat my plea to the Government to ensure that our hospitality businesses continue to receive support.

"We're entering their peak time now and these continuing restrictions will obviously hamper their ability to operate at full capacity, so it is vital that they receive help, and in the meantime, Devon County Council will continue to do everything in its power to ensure our economy recovers strongly from the pandemic."

The extension of restrictions will be put to a Commons vote, with a debate expected on Wednesday, as the current legislation expires on 30 June.

Speaking at the Downing Street briefing, the Prime Minister strongly said he intended the four week delay to be the last one.

And he said that while 21 June had been a 'not before' date, he believed 19 July was a final date.

He said: "I'm pretty confident that 19 July will be a terminus date and we will be able to take things forward from there."