UK social distancing measures may last a year, government advisers say

A couple wearing surgical masks walk past empty outdoor restaurant seating through a near-empty Covent Garden central London on March 17, 2020 after the UK government announced stringent social distancing advice including avoiding pubs and restaurants as a measure to kerb the spread of novel coronavirus COVID-19. (AFP)

• The government might have to alternate between periods of more and less strict restrictive measures
• “These would need to be in place for at least most of a year,” the advisors said

LONDON: Restrictive measures to minimize social interaction in Britain might need to be in place for a year to prevent the health service being overloaded, according to scientists advising the government.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies said in a document published on Friday that the government might have to alternate between periods of more and less strict restrictive measures.
“It was agreed that a policy of alternating between periods of more and less strict social distancing measures could plausibly be effective at keeping the number of critical care cases within capacity,” the advisers said.
“These would need to be in place for at least most of a year.”