Boris says the 'science' allows him to ease the lockdown regime, whereas the scientist say the direct opposite !!! Coronavirus: Boris Johnson claims alert level allowed him to ease lockdown despite it stating 'current restrictions' must remain 'The alert level does allow it,” prime minister insists - despite threat level stating transmission is 'high or rising exponentially' Boris Johnson has claimed his “alert level” system for coronavirus allowed him to lift restrictions – despite it stating they should have remained in place. Under pressure in the Commons – after it was revealed he overruled the chief medical officer, who said it was too early to cut the level from 4 to 3 – the prime minister denied breaking his own rules. “He knows perfectly well that the alert level does allow it,” he told Keir Starmer. However, health chiefs said the level should remain at 4, meaning transmission of the virus is “high or rising exponentially” – and carrying the instruction: “Current social distancing measures and restrictions.” The controversy was reignited as the Labour leader and the prime minister clashed fiercely over his handling of the pandemic, in a bad-tempered session. Sir Keir accused Mr Johnson of ignoring his offer of co-operation on school reopening – while the prime minister claimed his opponent had “thoroughly endorsed our approach” in a private phone call. Last week, Mr Johnson was expected to lower the alert level from 4 to 3 when he gave the go-ahead for groups of 6 to mix in gardens and parks and reopened schools. It then emerged that the move had been rejected by the government’s Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) and Chris Whitty, the medical officer – who was then overruled. The JBC, a new body supposed to monitor Covid-19 infections, is already on its second leader and has now been subsumed into the Department of Health and Social Care, it has emerged.
