Britain is planning a dramatic four-month mass quarantine of everyone over 70 in the most drastic measure yet unveiled in the fight against coronavirus.
Anyone in Britain born before the 1950s — whether ill, healthy or not showing any symptoms at all — will be forced to self-isolate until around the end of July as the country tries to spread out coronavirus infections so that the stretched health service can cope.
Nursing homes and other aged-care centres face being locked down for the same period.
The development comes amid revelations the Queen has been evacuated from London following increasing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus through the capital. The 93-year-old monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, 98, have moved to Windsor Castle, with plans to quarantine the couple at Sandringham in Norfolk if the situation continues to escalate.
The number of deaths in Britain nearly doubled from 11 to 21 and the 798 positive cases increased to 1143 on Saturday. Northern Ireland has flagged schools may be shut in the coming days for at least four months.
The news of the four-month quarantine for the elderly — tipped to be enforced in three weeks — was revealed on ITV after shops had shut on Saturday. There was expected to be significant panic when the stores opened for Sunday trading as senior citizens stocked up.
With only 4000 intensive-care beds across Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already told manufacturers that the government will buy every ventilator and other essential medical supplies they can produce in around-the-clock production, and the National Health Service will take over the beds in private hospitals.
The government is expected to also have emergency powers allowing police to detain people suspected of having the virus and also forcing schools to stay open in the coming days, even though some principals have threatened to ignore the directive. The government wants schools open so that parents are not forced to take time off from frontline healthcare to look after children.
Downing Street is expected to roll out emergency measures in coming days as the country’s infection rate is tipped to soon mirror that of Italy, Spain and France.
Spain, with almost 6400 cases and 196 deaths, has been forced to declare a state of emergency and impose an Italian-style lockdown.
The wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tested positive for COVID-19. Begona Gomez and the Prime Minister were reportedly in good health in Madrid.
France has ordered shut all restaurants, shops, cinemas, nightclubs and cafes. Only supermarkets, chemists, banks and petrol stations will stay open after schools were ordered closed last week.
France and Germany have about 4500 positive cases each but have kept their borders open.
Germany Health Minister Jens Spahn told travellers and skiers returning from Italy, Switzerland and Austria to self-isolate for two weeks.
The White House announced US President Donald Trump had tested negative for the virus after coming in contact with several members of a Brazilian presidential delegation visiting his Florida resort who have since tested positive. This came as the US extended a ban to travellers from Britain and Ireland, restricting entry from across the Atlantic to American citizens and Green Card holders only.
Iran reported 113 more deaths, bringing the country’s death toll to 724 amid 13,938 cases in the worst total outside China and Italy.
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