Coronavirus Lock Down May Be on the Way for UK

Ahead of the address to the nation at 8.30 pm tonight (we think we all know what will be said!)

A strict lockdown threatens Britain after thousands took to parks, beauty spots and open spaces, ignoring social distancing rules at the weekend. 

Ministers have known that they are thinking "very, very actively" about stricter policies on social distancing.” 

The stark warning comes as another 46 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the UK toll to 335. 

The youngest casualty was aged 47, and the oldest was 103. However, Europe’s worst spot for coronavirus, Italy, saw the number of deaths drop for the second day in a row - from 651 Sunday to 602. 

The number of new infections also slowed from a 9% increase on Sunday to 8.1%. Italy is judged to be around 12 days ahead of the UK on the pandemic curve

Emergency powers

Meanwhile, MPs are debating the emergency coronavirus bill in Parliament and are expected to nod through extensive new powers for the authorities. The 329-page bill has 87 clauses giving police and border control wide-ranging powers to stop and detain suspected coronavirus carriers. 

The bill also enshrines extending statutory sick pay provisions scrapping the three-day waiting period for the benefit, and allowing HM Revenue & Customs to refund employers.

First tenant eviction adjourned.

Courts have started to cancel tenant evictions, but landlords and lawyers are still unclear about how the new rules suspending repossessions of rental homes for three months will apply. 

One of the first cases was a Section 8 case before Blackpool County Court that was adjourned until June. Lawyers and landlords are unclear about how the eviction policy will work. 

Leaks suggest the notice period will extend for three months instead of two, allowing landlords to take back a property no earlier than six months into a new tenancy. 

Draft legislation was revealed by the media outlet Inside Housing but could be one of several options under consideration.

 A report on the draft legislation by Nearly Legal shows the intention is to increase the length of virtually all notices to three months. 

This will likely include the section 8 and the section 21 notices. The Housing Ministry has not commented on the proposal, but last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised no tenants would lose their homes during the coronavirus crisis.