Mini-lockdowns next challenge for garages?

27 May 2020  

 Highly-localised mini-lockdowns are likely to be deployed in COVID-19 hotspots as the nationwide lockdown is gradually rolled back, the government has warned, meaning garages could find themselves within one if Coronavirus begins to spread in their area.

The new tactic was trailed at the daily Downing Street press briefing yesterday (Tuesday 26 May) by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. He said: “We will have local lockdowns in future where there are flare-ups and we have a system we are putting in place with a combination of Public Health England and the new joint biosecurity centre, along with the local directors of public health who play an absolutely crucial role in the decision-making in the system, to make sure if there is a local flare-up there is a local lockdown.

This will be part of the test-and-trace system, due to roll out from tomorrow (Thursday 28 May). Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick later explained that targeted lockdowns could be deployed at “the micro level,” within a locality or even a specific school or business.