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Updated March 19th, 2020 at 20:08 IST

UK government dismisses prospect of travel ban in and out of London

Downing Street confirmed that there is “zero prospect” of lockdown in London shunning the rumours of a travel ban in and out of the city due to the coronavirus.

Reported by: Kunal Gaurav
UK
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Downing Street confirmed that there is “zero prospect” of lockdown in London shunning the rumours of a travel ban in and out of the city due to coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said that the new regulations will be released after government's emergency Coronavirus Bill gets published.

As per the latest report, the United Kingdom has over 2,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 104 deaths due to the infection. The spokesperson said that there is no plan to draft in the military and police will continue to be responsible for maintaining law and order.

“The Prime Minister and his advisers have set out the need for social distancing measures to limit the spread of the virus to protect lives,” he said.

On March 18, Johnson made his statement on the ongoing pandemic saying everyone must follow the advice to protect themselves, their families and the wider public. He advised citizens to avoid all unnecessary gatherings at pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants, theatres and work from home if possible.

Read: Coronavirus: Delhi Minister Reviews Availability Of Masks, Sanitizers, Medicines

Scale-up testing

Britain has announced massive scaling up of testing capacity in the weeks ahead to hit 25,000 tests per day. The government is also rolling out a huge public information campaign so people get all the information they need to protect themselves and others.

“We are asking retired healthcare professionals to come back and help us cope, help the NHS to cope, with this unprecedented challenge,” said Johnson.

“And we will continue as we have from the beginning to do the right thing at the right time and to follow the best scientific advice,” he added.

Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Global Death Toll Surpasses 9,300, Total Cases At 227,761

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised testing as many people as possible to mitigate the risk. During a press briefing on March 18, the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised the need for physical distancing measures like cancelling sporting events, concerts and other large gatherings and said that it can help to slow transmission of the virus.

Read: Coronavirus: Isolated Eugenie Bouchard Sparks Meltdown After Wanting A Boyfriend

Read: PM-proposed SAARC Emergency Fund To Combat Coronavirus Operationalised: MEA

(With agency inputs)

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Published March 19th, 2020 at 20:17 IST

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