From Thursday 5th November the Gosport Constituency will come under stricter COVID-19 restrictions. The new rules will be England-wide and the current plan is that, from December 2nd, the Tier system will resume.
From Thursday, new England-wide restrictions will close businesses such as bars, pubs and restaurants, non-essential retail, as well as theatres and cinemas. No households will be allowed to mix, except if they are in a support bubble and in other exceptional circumstances.
Places of education will remain open, private worship can go ahead, and one person can meet one member of another household to exercise outdoors.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister explained that unless decisive action was taken, NHS hospital beds will run out in December and the peak mortality in this second wave could be far larger than that of last Spring. Importantly, the impact that this will have on the NHS will mean that non-covid patients, such as those needing urgent treatment for cancer, will be deprived of their necessary medical care.
The Prime Minister said:
“Let me explain why the overrunning of the NHS would be a medical and moral disaster beyond the raw loss of life.
“Because the huge exponential growth in the number of patients – by no means all of them elderly, by the way – would mean that doctors and nurses would be forced to choose which patients to treat.
“Who would get oxygen and who wouldn’t. Who would live and who would die. And doctors and nurses would be forced to choose between saving covid patients and non-covid patients.
“And the sheer weight of covid demand would mean depriving tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of non-covid patients of the care they need.”
Importantly, coupled with these restrictions the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have announced further financial support, including extending the furlough scheme until the end of the month. Other support is also available through the Job Support Scheme, Self-Employment Support Scheme and New Style Employment and Support Allowance.
Caroline commented:
“We are all sick of this virus and want to see the back of it. However, the harsh reality is that cases of COVID-19 are rising rapidly across the country, including here in Hampshire. If we do not take action now, we expect to run out of hospital beds before Christmas, overwhelming our NHS and placing insurmountable pressure on our doctors and nurses who work so hard to protect us.
“I know that many constituents will be disheartened by this news, but the absence of action will have severe consequences for our vulnerable loved ones, our NHS and those with other, non-Covid related medical issues.
“I will continue to keep constituents updated and, as ever, my team and I stand by to assist in any way we can.”