MEPs from the British House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon backed a second lockdown in England, starting at midnight. All major religious denominations in Britain have called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change their decision to close the temples. “The bitter experiences of the past six months have confirmed the vital role faith plays in times of tremendous crisis,” they wrote.
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Lockdown in England will start at midnight from Wednesday to Thursday. In the afternoon, the House of Commons formally approved this. 516 MPs voted in favor of the government’s proposal, 38 were against it. The result of the vote is not surprising, because the government of Boris Johnson was supported in this matter by the opposition Labor Party, so the rebellion of a group of conservative MPs had no real significance. Nevertheless, it shows the growing dissatisfaction of some of them with Johnson’s rule. 34 Conservative MPs voted against the government, including former party leader Ian Duncan Smith, and 21 more, incl. Johnson’s predecessor as Prime Minister, Theresa May, did not take part in the vote.
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Johnson: I’m not prepared to risk the lives of the British
During a three-hour debate in the House of Commons, they argued that the lockdown would be a blow to many businesses and would consequently cause more harm to health, and that it had not even been verified yet whether the three-point scale of restrictions introduced in England in October improved the situation.
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Johnson said introducing a second lockdown was not “something any of us would like to do,” but stressed: “I’m not prepared to risk British lives.”
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He explained that the number of people admitted to hospitals is constantly growing and the data on this issue are unambiguous. “While it pains me to call for such restrictions on life, freedom and business, I have no doubt that these restrictions are the best and safest path for our country,” Johnson said.
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Boris Johnson at the House of Commons deliberationPAP/EPA/JESSICA TAYLOR/UK PARLIAMENT / HANDOUT
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“Does the prime minister understand the human costs of his delay in action?”
Explaining the decision to endorse the government, Labor leader Keir Starmer said: “Nobody votes for these regulations today except with a heavy heart.”
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He called on the prime minister to use the four-week lockdown to come up with “something better” than the current three-step restriction system, because this, he argued, does not work.
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Earlier, in a weekly session of MPs’ questions to the prime minister, Starmer accused Johnson of ignoring the advice of the government’s scientific advisers, who had already called for a brief lockdown in September to stop the epidemic. – Does the prime minister understand the human costs of his delay in action? – He asked.
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Johnson argued that it was right to use local and regional measures first, rather than nationwide, and added that they showed signs of functioning. He stressed that the lockdown will automatically expire on December 2 and hopes that “in the run-up to Christmas, the country will move forward again.”
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“The bitter experiences of the past six months have confirmed the vital role faith plays in times of great crisis.”
Lockdown is expected to last until December 2. All temples must be closed during this timeexcept for funerals, individual prayers and essential community services.
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In a letter published on Wednesday, leaders of all major faiths in the UK asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change his mind. “We fully understand that the country faces major challenges and understand the reasons behind the government’s decision to introduce new measures. However, we strongly disagree with the decision to suspend public church services at this time. The bitter experience of the past six months has confirmed the vital role faith plays in times of a huge crisis, and we believe that public practice of it is essential “- wrote the authors of the letter.
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They include the head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, and leaders of the Jewish, Muslim and Hindu communities.
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Religious leaders appeal to Boris JohnsonPAP / EPA / NEIL HALL
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“We believe there is currently no scientific justification for a complete suspension of public services.”
They pointed out that public services are crucial for the survival of religious communities at the local level, because online broadcasts are not a substitute for face-to-face contacts, are essential for social cohesion and social contacts, for maintaining the mental health of the country, and are also a clear symbol of hope.
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Coronavirus in Great BritainPAP/EPA/ANDY RAIN
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They emphasized that in recent months, temples have introduced measures that minimize the possibility of coronavirus transmission during services. “We have proved with our actions that places of worship and public services can be prevented from spreading COVID. Given the significant work that we have already done, we believe that there is currently no scientific justification for a complete suspension of public services” – they indicated.
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Four-week lockdown in England
From midnight to December 2, residents of England will only be allowed to leave their homes in strictly defined cases, such as study, work – as long as someone is not allowed to work from home, exercise outdoors, doctor’s visits, buying food and necessities, providing assistance people who require it. People from different households will not be able to meet in closed rooms (except for a few specific cases, such as childcare or “support bubbles” created by people living alone). In open spaces, it will be possible to meet only one person outside the household.
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British streets during the pandemicPAP/EPA/ASHLEY CROWDEN
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All stores will be closed, except for basic necessities, as well as service outlets, pubs, bars and restaurants, although they may still operate in the take-away and delivery system. Contrary to the restrictions introduced at the end of March in response to the first wave of the epidemic, learning in schools and universities will continue to take place in a stationary system, not remotely, industrial plants and construction sites will be able to operate and professional sports games will not be suspended. There will also be no recommendation for people who are particularly vulnerable to disease due to illnesses to stay at home constantly.
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The lockdown will only apply to England, as health issues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the local governments. Limited-time lockdowns are already in place in Wales and Northern Ireland.
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photo-source">Main photo source: PAP/EPA/JESSICA TAYLOR/UK PARLIAMENT / HANDOUT
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