Indian Covid variant: No 10 tells Britons in hotspots to use ‘individual judgement’ after travel warning

Labour calls for withdrawal of ‘local lockdowns by stealth’

(Getty Images)

Boris Johnson’s government has moved to head off anger over “confusing” coronavirus guidance, promising to rewrite new advice against non-essential travel that one local leader warned could put lives at risk.

Town halls in eight councils with high levels of the Indian variant of Covid-19 erupted in anger as it emerged that official guidance had been changed on Friday without their knowledge to advise against movements in or out of the areas.

Labour branded the measures – affecting almost 2 million people – “local lockdowns by stealth” and called for their immediate withdrawal.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also called on the government to acknowledge it had made a “major communications error” that had thrown doubt over bank holiday get-togethers and sports fixtures as well as half-term school trips and vacations.

Officials from the government, NHS and Public Health England struggled all day to assure councils that there were no local lockdowns.

Downing Street said that the new guidance was not legally binding, so individuals were free to make their own judgement on whether to follow it. Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson said it was a sign of England moving away from “top-down edicts” and back towards people being able to make their own decisions on their safety.

But vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi did not back away from the new advice, telling the House of Commons that “people should try to avoid travelling in and out of the affected areas unless it is essential”.

The all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus called on Mr Johnson to return to the system of daily press conferences as England approaches the 21 June date when remaining restrictions could be lifted.

Vice-chair Dan Poulter, a Tory MP and doctor, said: “Over a year into the pandemic, the government’s public health messaging needs to be clearer.

“People are being asked to piece together a jigsaw puzzle of information.  What we need is much clearer information about the government’s plans to keep the Indian variant under control, what local measures may remain in place and for how long, and whether they will be legally binding.”

It was not until early evening that an official comment emerged to confirm that the advice would be rewritten.

A government spokesperson said: “We will be updating the guidance for areas where the new Covid-19 variant is spreading to make it clearer we are not imposing local restrictions.

“Instead, we are providing advice on the additional precautions people can take to protect themselves and others in those areas where the new variant is prevalent. 

“This includes, wherever possible, trying to meet outdoors rather than indoors, keeping two metres apart from anyone you don’t live with and minimising travel in and out the area.”

University College London professor Christina Pagel branded the situation “a complete and utter farce”, pointing out that 8,000 fans had attended a Premier League football match in Leicester over the weekend while local authorities were apparently unaware of the advice against travel.

Sian Griffiths, a UK-based professor of public health at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: “There is one thing we should have learnt from the handling of the pandemic it is that communication and collaboration between local and national levels is essential if guidance and management of the pandemic is to be effective.”

The Royal Bolton Hospital reported one of its busiest ever days as the Greater Manchester borough recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections in the country, with 1,300 new cases in the seven days to 21 May – its highest level for six months.

Bolton council leader David Greenhalgh warned that many people felt the town had been “unfairly treated” in previous lockdowns and was now being “singled out” for tougher restrictions. “There’s an underlying resentment that can very easily, if we are not careful, turn into anger,” he said.

After receiving assurances that the new advice did not amount to a local lockdown, Mr Greenhalgh said he did not believe people in Bolton needed to cancel holidays planned for next week.

Hounslow Council leader Steve Curran said the government’s communications had been “woefully lacking” and “shambolic”.

He said: “For one of London’s most connected boroughs – with Heathrow on its doorstep, the M4 and A4 running through it, the Piccadilly Line, the main line from Waterloo, plus the North Circular via Kew Bridge – to try and limit travel within its borders is not only impossible, it’s a ridiculous idea.”

“This government needs to step up and start communicating with councils properly,” he said.

After Leicester advised residents they could ignore the new guidance and North Tyneside’s mayor branded it “disproportionate” for the area, the eight affected councils joined together in a statement effectively accusing the government of wrongly sparking unnecessary concerns.

“We have met with national officials and confirmed there are no restrictions on travel in or out of each of our areas,” they said. “There are no local lockdowns.

In the Commons, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called on the government to withdraw its guidance immediately and instead draw up a plan with local health chiefs on isolation support, enhanced contact tracing and accelerated vaccination for areas hit by the Indian variant.