NHS Providers’ Chris Hopson told BBC Breakfast that it has become more difficult to move quickly when implementing coronavirus restrictions due to groups of people arguing against lockdown. Mr Hopson claimed the majority of the British public want the Government to act decisively when a local lockdown is needed in a region.
Mr Hopson said: “One of the problems that we have got is that there has been a vociferous group of people that have been arguing against lockdown over the summer.
“I think our worry is that it has become more difficult to move quickly and decisively enough.
“As ever the great British public if you look at the opinion polls are very clear which is that we should be doing what we need to do quickly and decisively.
“Because of the political argument I can understand why it might make some of our politicians a bit more cautious.
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“What we would urge them to do is follow the advice of the British public and at the point where you need to go into a local lockdown, let’s do that.”
On Monday, England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty backed further lockdown restrictions as he admitted that the current plan is “not enough”.
Prof Whitty explained that while the three-tier system put in place will help slow the spread of COVID-19, more needs to be done by local authorities.
Speaking from Downing Street, He said: “I am very confident that the measures that are currently in place are working to slow the virus and these measures will help to slow it further.
“But there are quite a lot more additional things that can be done within that with local guidance.”
He added: “The central thing about this is these only work if people buy into them.
“I don’t just mean political leaders, although it’s absolutely essential that they do.
“But also everybody has got to buy into them because that’s how it works. Everybody doing their bit within this.”
